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The individual who provided the FBI with details about purported payments made to President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, has been accused of making up the claims while being questioned by government investigators.
David Weiss, the special prosecutor appointed by Trump, is in charge of two federal cases against Hunter Biden. He got a grand jury to indict Alexander Smirnov in the Central District of California for lying to federal investigators while working as a confidential source for the FBI.
Based on the charges, it is claimed that Mr Smirnov gave agents untrue negative details about President Biden, referred to as “Public Official 1” in the legal papers, and his son Hunter Biden, referred to as “Businessperson 1”, in 2020 after Public Official 1 began running for President of the United States.
According to prosecutors, Mr Smirnov is accused of fabricating claims to agents in June 2020. He allegedly informed them of two encounters with a Burisma executive, the Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden worked as a lawyer and later served on its corporate board.
According to reports, Mr. Smirnov claimed that individuals linked to Burisma, including Burisma Official 1, confessed to him that they employed [Hunter Biden] for the purpose of safeguarding themselves from various issues through his father.
According to reports, he purportedly informed agents that the executives at Burisma had given $5 million to both Joe and Hunter Biden while Joe Biden was serving as vice president. The intention was for Hunter Biden to handle any legal matters related to Burisma through his father, in reference to an investigation into the company taking place in Ukraine.
According to prosecutors, Mr Smirnov revealed to agents details of a conversation he had with an executive who stated that he was coerced into making the supposed bribes. The executive also predicted that it would take investigators ten years to uncover proof of the payments.
The claims made by Republican representatives, particularly James Comer and Jim Jordan, during their impeachment investigation of President Biden heavily rely on allegations documented in an FBI witness interview form.
On January 10, 2024, at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Attorney Kevin Morris sat on the left while Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, sat in the center next to his attorney, Abbe Lowell. This occurred as Republicans began the process of potentially holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress.
According to the indictment, the accusations against both Bidens, which were promoted by Mr. Comer and Mr. Jordan, were deemed to be false by prosecutors and were created by Mr. Smirnov.
According to the message, Mr. Smirnov’s interaction with Burisma’s executives was limited to 2017, during which time Joe Biden did not have the power to affect US policy.
The statement stated that the Defendant turned his ordinary business interactions with Burisma into accusations of bribery against Public Official 1, who was running as the potential nominee for President from one of the two major political parties. This was done after showing prejudice against Public Official 1 and his campaign.
“The defendant provided a false account to the FBI, weaving together uneventful business meetings and interactions that did occur, but at a different time than he stated. This was in an attempt to promote his services and products to Burisma, rather than to discuss bribes with Public Official 1 during their time in office,” the authorities included in their statement.
The charges against Mr Smirnov mark a low point for the year-long investigation run by Mr Comer and Mr Jordan, which has produced no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of President Biden.
The two Republican chairmen of the committee have stated that their inquiry, primarily centered on Hunter Biden, is directed towards the 46th president. They have alleged, without any proof so far, that the president has received advantages from his son’s international business dealings.
Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat and leading member of the House oversight and accountability committee, stated that it was necessary to conclude the impeachment investigation. He declared, “Special Counsel David Weiss, who was chosen by former President Donald Trump, has presented a thorough indictment outlining how crucial evidence in the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry is founded on a falsehood.”
The investigation conducted by Special Counsel Weiss is the latest to disprove the Ukraine-Burisma conspiracy theory that is the basis of this false impeachment inquiry.
It is indisputable that the accusations made by Republicans against President Biden are baseless falsehoods fueled by unfounded conspiracy theories. I officially urge Speaker Johnson, Chairman Comer, and House Republicans to cease promoting this absurdity and halt their futile impeachment investigation.
Hunter Biden, who has acknowledged a lengthy past of alcohol and drug misuse, is currently being charged with two separate federal offenses for tax fraud and for potentially falsifying information on a firearm background check form.
The prosecutors claim that Mr. Smirnov provided false information to investigators regarding Hunter Biden during a 2023 interview. This was after he realized that his previous allegations of bribery could not be substantiated by evidence he had.
According to reports, Mr. Smirnov allegedly requested an investigation into the Premiere Palace hotel in Kyiv, claiming that it was under Russian control and equipped with surveillance for the purpose of blackmail.
According to reports, Mr. Smirnov stated to investigators that Hunter Biden was recorded on video at a hotel in Kyiv and advised them to inquire about the number of times he stayed there and his activities during his stay at the Premier Palace Hotel.
However, the indictment states that Hunter Biden has not visited Ukraine at all, according to prosecutors.
Representatives from the White House, President Biden’s campaign for re-election, and Mr. Jordan did not promptly provide a response to The Independent’s request for comment.
A representative for Mr. Comer and the Republican majority of the House Oversight Committee, Austin Hacker, stated that the investigation into Mr. Biden’s impeachment is not based solely on the accusations made by Mr. Smirnov. He also claimed that the FBI has deemed the defendant to be credible and reliable.
In addition, he stated that the investigation into impeachment is founded on a substantial amount of proof, such as bank records and witness statements, which reveal that Joe Biden was aware of and involved in his family’s business transactions.
The executive director of the Congressional Integrity Project, Kyle Herrig, stated that the only remaining option is for the MAGA House Republicans to stop their deceptive impeachment investigation of the President. He also called for James Comer, Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Johnson, and all others who voted for this false accusation to personally apologize to President Biden, his family, and the citizens of America.
“This inquiry, which has produced no proof despite a year’s worth of effort, is founded on falsehoods. The foundation has now collapsed. It is high time for MAGA supporters to acknowledge this reality.”
Source: independent.co.uk
