Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges related to lying about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s alleged business dealings with a Ukrainian energy company. Smirnov, who was a longtime informant for the FBI, was arrested in February after falsely claiming that Ukrainian energy firm Burisma paid bribes to the Bidens. He also faces separate federal tax charges for concealing over two million dollars in income received from multiple sources.
Under the plea agreement, Smirnov will plead guilty to causing the creation of a false record in a federal investigation and three counts of tax evasion. He could face four to six years in prison, supervised release, and restitution. Smirnov’s false information about the Bidens was documented by the FBI, but prosecutors have stated that his claims were not credible, as his involvement with Burisma came after Joe Biden could influence US policy.
Smirnov’s allegations were central to House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry against President Biden. The former FBI informant provided false and derogatory information about the Bidens, claiming that they were involved in bribery to protect Burisma from legal issues. However, prosecutors have stated that Smirnov’s claims were not based on credible information and that his bias against Joe Biden and his candidacy influenced his allegations.
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