A former FBI informant is headed to federal prison after admitting he invented a story that Joe and Hunter Biden accepted large sums of money in bribes.
Key Facts:
• Alexander Smirnov was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to making false statements about the Biden family accepting $10 million in bribes.
• He was arrested in February on charges connected to special counsel David Weiss’ probe into Hunter Biden.
• Prosecutors said Smirnov only had normal business dealings with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma beginning in 2017, after Joe Biden’s vice presidency ended.
• Smirnov has been behind bars since his arrest and will receive credit for time served.
The Rest of The Story:
Prosecutors revealed that Smirnov falsely claimed Burisma executives paid the Bidens $5 million each around 2015 when Joe Biden was vice president.
This claim contributed to heightened attention in Congress regarding President Biden’s actions, leading some lawmakers to demand a full FBI release of the unredacted form documenting the unverified allegations.
Federal investigators discovered Smirnov had no evidence to back up his claims.
He later pleaded guilty in December in an effort to avoid a looming trial.
As part of the deal, the Justice Department added tax charges, noting that he concealed millions of dollars in income between 2020 and 2022.
Prosecutors said his false statements fueled a congressional “firestorm.”
Their case depicted Smirnov as a deceitful figure who tried to interfere in a presidential election by pointing the finger at a major political family.
Smirnov’s defense team had requested a four-year sentence, citing his poor health and clean criminal record.
Despite those arguments, he ended up with a six-year sentence that matches the high end of the government’s recommendation.
Alexander Smirnov, the former FBI informant behind fake Biden-Ukraine bribery allegations, has been sentenced to six years in prison https://t.co/VKupopDEpD
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 9, 2025
The Bottom Line:
Alexander Smirnov’s case shows that unproven allegations can carry serious legal consequences.
Prosecutors insisted that such dishonest claims about the Biden family amounted to election meddling.
Smirnov’s sentencing closes out his part in the special counsel’s broader investigation.
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In the end, the judge’s ruling underscored that spreading false information to law enforcement is a crime that comes with steep penalties.