Official announcements from the Department of Justice or court filings

Ex-FBI Informant Admits to Lying About Biden Bribery Scheme, Faces Prison Time

Dec 16, 2024, 06:05 PM

Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, pleaded guilty to fabricating a bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. Smirnov admitted to lying about executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paying $5 million each to Joe and Hunter Biden around 2015. His false allegations became central to a Republican-led impeachment inquiry in Congress. Smirnov, who had been an informant for over a decade, made these claims in June 2020, expressing bias against then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. He also faces a tax evasion charge for not reporting more than $2 million in income. Prosecutors and defense have agreed to recommend a prison sentence of between four and six years. The case was brought by Special Counsel David Weiss, who also prosecuted Hunter Biden on separate gun and tax charges, though Hunter was pardoned by his father, President Biden, earlier in December 2024.