A former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, accused of providing false information about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, is reportedly linked to Russian intelligence, according to US prosecutors. The Department of Justice outlined the allegations on Tuesday, asserting that Smirnov falsely claimed that bribes were funneled to the Bidens through a Ukrainian energy firm, Burisma. Charged last week with making false statements to the FBI, Smirnov, a dual US-Israeli citizen, was arrested in Las Vegas upon his return from an overseas trip.
Prosecutors sought to detain Smirnov without bail, citing his lack of ties to Las Vegas and alleged connections with Russian intelligence. However, US Magistrate Judge Daniel Albregts granted release under GPS monitoring until trial, with the condition that Smirnov remains in Nevada’s Clarke County and refrains from obtaining a new passport.
Also Read: Navalny’s widow vows to continue his Kremlin fight, blaming Putin for his death
The Justice Department revealed that Smirnov disclosed his intelligence contacts to his FBI handler, claiming he could leverage these connections to leave the US. Prosecutors also alleged that Smirnov provided false financial information, understating his assets. Court documents disclosed his attendance at an overseas meeting in December 2023 with a high-ranking member of a specific Russian foreign intelligence service, during which he learned of intercepted phone calls at an unspecified hotel. Smirnov allegedly suggested these recordings could be used as compromising material in the 2024 election campaign.
Charged by Special Counsel David Weiss in June 2020, Smirnov faces a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors argue that his motivations were rooted in his dislike of President Biden. In a separate filing on the same day, Hunter Biden’s attorneys sought the dismissal of federal tax charges, asserting that the case was politically motivated. They argued against the relevance and prejudice of prosecutors’ claims about Hunter Biden’s lifestyle.
