Aiexpress – The individual facing charges for making false claims about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden accepting a bribe reportedly has connections to Russian intelligence officials at a “high-level.”
Alexander Smirnov, who is facing felony charges, was recently accused of making false statements and fabricating false records regarding the Bidens’ business activities in Ukraine. According to a memo filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday, Smirnov should be kept in custody until his trial due to his “extensive foreign ties,” which involve connections with “Russian intelligence agencies.”
According to the DOJ filing, Smirnov recently had a meeting with an individual he characterized as a high-ranking member of a specific Russian foreign intelligence service. This individual has connections to numerous Russian officials and is also associated with someone involved in carrying out assassination attempts in a third-party country.
The Context
In June 2020, Smirnov, acting as a “confidential human source,” alleged that executives at Ukrainian energy company Burisma had paid the Bidens a sum of “$5 million each” in return for favors from Joe Biden when he served as vice president. This claim played a central role in the impeachment inquiry initiated by House Republicans against the president last year.
Special Counsel David Weiss, who oversees the Hunter Biden investigation, recently announced that Smirnov is facing felony charges for fabricating the bribery claim. This revelation has provided Democrats with ammunition to support their argument that the impeachment inquiry is a politically motivated attempt to hinder Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.
The findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report revealed that the Russian government engaged in a comprehensive and organized effort to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, with the intention of supporting former President Donald Trump. It is worth noting that Trump is expected to be President Biden’s opponent once again in the upcoming November election.
What We Know
According to the filing by the DOJ on Tuesday, it is alleged that Smirnov has had significant and recent contact with officials linked to Russian intelligence. Furthermore, it is claimed that he had intended to participate in further meetings before his arrest.
The filing says that Smirnov met with a “high-ranking” Russian intelligence official not long ago. He also met with “the person who controls groups that are engaged in overseas assassination efforts,” who told him at least one detail of a plan to meddle in this year’s election.
The document says that Smirnov told the person in charge of the FBI that Russian intelligence was listening in on phone calls “placed by prominent U.S. persons” that could be used as “kompromat,” or damaging information, before the election in November.
“Smirnov’s efforts to spread misinformation about a candidate of one of the two major parties in the United States continues,” the filing states. “The Court should consider this conduct as well when evaluating his personal history and characteristics.”
“He is actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November,” it continues. “In light of that fact there is a serious risk he will flee in order to avoid accountability for his actions.”
Views
“What do you have to say about your star witness, @RepJamesComer?” she wrote, referring to David Weiss’ filing for pretrial detention for Smirnov. “But I was told Russia was a hoax.”
According to Ryan Goodman, a former special counsel for the Department of Defense, Smirnov’s alleged connections to Russian intelligence could have significant implications for both impeachment proceedings and the integrity of the 2024 presidential elections.
During a CNN appearance, Goodman mentioned that the filing by the DOJ served as a warning about an ongoing Russian misinformation campaign and their attempts to interfere in the election. He referred to it as “Russia’s playbook.”
According to Comer, the impeachment inquiry is not dependent on Smirnov’s bribery claim. In an email statement to Newsweek, he expressed his frustration that the FBI did not verify Smirnov’s claim until the Republicans initiated the impeachment inquiry. Comer raised concerns about the bureau’s actions in this matter.
What’s Next
Smirnov, a 43-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen, faces up to 25 years in jail if convicted of the lying charges. He was set to attend a pretrial court session in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday, which had not yet been completed as of publication.
Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to all allegations in two cases alleging tax evasion and unlawful weapons possession. Both instances emerged as a result of Weiss’ inquiry. A trial for the tax charges is scheduled to begin in June.
Biden’s attorneys stated in a court filing on Tuesday that Smirnov’s allegedly concocted bribery claims “infected” the case against the president’s son, causing a plea agreement to fail last year.
