A former FBI informant lied when he said the Bidens were involved in possible criminal activity in Ukraine, demanding bribes to protect Burisma.
The special prosecutor leading the Hunter Biden investigation has accused a former FBI informant of making claims that President Joe Biden and his son sought two $5 million in bribes from Ukrainian energy company Burisma. The New York Times reported this on Thursday, February 15.
It was noted that the former informant, 43-year-old Alexander Smirnov, was accused of telling the FBI false information that Hunter Biden, then a member of Burisma’s board of directors, had asked for money for protecting the company. from an investigation, which the CEO then conducted the country’s prosecutor.
The story Smirnov told investigators is part of a series of high-profile and unsubstantiated allegations by Republicans that the Bidens have engaged in possible criminal activity — allegations that are at the center of the party’s effort to impeach the sitting incumbent. president
In July, Senator Charles Grassley, Republican of Iowa, released a copy of the FBI tape containing the false accusation, without naming Smirnov or questioning his veracity.
“I urge the Department of Justice and the FBI to provide detailed information about their handling of the very important allegations from a trusted FBI whistleblower implicating then-Vice President Biden in a criminal bribery scheme,” said Grassley at the time, praising the “heroic. whistleblower” who disclosed publicly. the document.
According to David Weiss, the Trump-appointed US attorney for Delaware, the allegations in the report were false. Weiss twice brought up the tax and weapons charges against Hunter Biden last year.
Smirnov was charged with two counts of making false statements and obstructing the government’s lengthy investigation into the president’s son. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
According to a senior law enforcement official, Smirnov is a permanent resident of the United States. He was arrested in Las Vegas on Wednesday after getting off an international flight and is expected to appear before a federal judge soon.
Hunter Biden was accused of allegedly promising to protect the company “thanks to his father from all kinds of trouble.”
Smirnov, according to investigators, contacted Burisma executives only in 2017, after Biden left office and when he no longer had the opportunity to influence US policy.
Let’s remember that in September 2023, an official investigation began in the US Congress, which could launch the impeachment process of President Joe Biden. The main focus of Congress is the business activities of the President’s son Hunter Biden, who is suspected of unsavory business practices.
New Correspondent.net on Telegram and WhatsApp. Subscribe to our channels Athletistic and WhatsApp
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.