Justice Department Special Counsel David Weiss indicted ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov for allegedly lying about President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden’s involvement with Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm. Smirnov was arrested at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas after a federal grand jury in California returned the indictment. His arrest and charges were a major setback for House Republicans’ ongoing impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, as GOP investigators have touted Smirnov’s claims for months.
Who is Alexander Smirnov : Smirnov was charged with two counts: making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record for information he gave to the FBI. His claims were recorded by the FBI in a form known as an FD-1023, which investigators use to record information from confidential sources. Smirnov was previously only known as a confidential human source up until his indictment was announced.
Smirnov’s allegations revolve around Republicans’ accusations that Joe Biden ousted a top Ukrainian prosecutor during his tenure as vice president to protect his son, Hunter Biden, who was then serving on the board of Burisma. The indictment is a blow to Republicans’ investigation into Joe Biden over allegations the president was improperly involved in his son’s foreign business dealings. House Republicans have yet to produce evidence directly tying the president to his son’s foreign business ventures.
