(USNewsBreak.com) – The subject of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, and whether they involved his dad, now-President Joe Biden, has remained a hot-button issue among Conservatives. Three House committees have run concurrent investigations into the circumstances surrounding Biden family business matters looking for evidence that the current president became involved in a bribery scheme while serving as vice president during the Obama Administration. Recently, federal agents arrested and charged a former FBI informant with making false statements. Now, more has come to light.
FBI Informant Arrested and Charged
On Wednesday, February 14, authorities arrested Alexander Smirnov in Las Vegas after he returned from an overseas trip. Federal prosecutors indicted him on several charges of creating a false and fictitious record and making a false statement. In a press release, Special Counsel David Weiss said that Smirnov had lied to the FBI about conversations he reportedly had with Burisma Holdings officials. Namely, he created false narratives when he stated that officials with the holding company told him they hired “Businessperson 1,” believed to be the younger Biden, to ensure “Public Official 1,” the elder Biden, would protect them “from all kinds of problems.”
Smirnov testified the meetings occurred while Barack Obama was in office in 2015 and 2016. However, the FBI later ascertained the encounters never happened, and the confidential informant falsified his accounts of the events because of his bias against Joe Biden. Those accusations formed a substantial portion of the basis of the House committee investigations into the Bidens.
Smirnov later said that “officials associated with Russian intelligence” pandered the story. He further alleged that the Russian Intelligence Service intercepted several phone calls made “by prominent US persons,” which they could use to discredit or manipulate individuals.
Smirnov Released, Arrested Again
Despite the prosecution’s attempts to keep Smirnov jailed, citing several flight risk examples, a federal judge ordered his release on a personal recognizance bond. One of the reasons the prosecution attorneys wanted to keep the informant in custody was because they believed that following his meeting with Russian intelligence officials last November, he was “actively peddling new lies that could impact US elections.”
However, when the defense presented its case, his attorneys said Smirnov would surrender his passports and agree to electronic monitoring. They also cited his numerous ties to the community and support systems in the US that he needs.
Yet, prosecutors worried Smirnov could simply go to the Israeli consulate and get a new passport without issue. They filed an appeal to send him back to jail on Wednesday, February 21. The next day, he was placed under arrest yet again.
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