(RightWing.org) – In 2023, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed US Attorney David Weiss as a special counsel to lead the Justice Department’s investigation into Hunter Biden’s activities. Since then, Weiss has obtained two indictments against the president’s son — one related to his unlawful purchase of a firearm and another for several felony and misdemeanor tax offenses. In a surprising move, he recently accused an FBI informant of providing false information in a new court filing.
On February 15, the Justice Department issued a press release announcing the indictment and arrest of 43-year-old Alexander Smirnov for making false statements and “creating a false and fictitious record.” Federal agents recorded his remarks in an FD-1023, later released by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IO). FD-1023s are a form the FBI uses to document unverified, raw information obtained from confidential human sources (CHSs).
The criminal indicted alleged that in March 2017, Smirnov contacted FBI officials to report the details surrounding a phone call he had with Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian-based energy exploration and production company. He advised the company planned to purchase a US company recently listed as an IPO on an unspecified US stock exchange.
Then, in June 2020, Smirnov reported details of two meetings with Burisma executives between 2015 and 2016. He claimed that they admitted to him they hired Hunter Biden to protect the company “through his dad,” Joe Biden, from “all kinds of problems.” Smirnov also reported that Burisma officials told him they paid $5 million to Hunter and Joe Biden while he was still serving as vice president.
However, prosecutors contend that Smirnov’s statements were “fabrications.” They allege Smirnov had contact with Burisma executives in 2017 after the end of Joe Biden’s time in office, when the former VP no longer had the ability to influence US policy. Weiss’ team also alleged that Smirnov repeated some of his false claims and changed portions of his story during a September 2023 interview with FBI agents.
The indictment didn’t specifically name Joe and Hunter Biden. Instead, it referred to them as “Public Official 1” and “Businessman 1.”
Smirnov made his first appearance before a US magistrate judge in Vegas but didn’t enter a plea. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years imprisonment.
Copyright 2024, RightWing.org
