Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant who exposed a bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, has been arrested once again shortly after being charged last week. According to Slay News, Smirnov was apprehended by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Biden’s administration for allegedly providing false information to the FBI regarding the president’s involvement in the bribery scheme.
Smirnov had initially come forward with information about the Biden family’s alleged business dealings with the corrupt Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings. He claimed that President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, had accepted millions of dollars in bribes from Burisma to obstruct investigations into the company. The U.S. House Oversight and Judiciary Committees have been conducting investigations into these allegations and have obtained bank records that show substantial amounts of money being deposited into the Bidens’ accounts from foreign nationals, including individuals from Ukraine.
However, the DOJ under Biden’s administration asserts that Smirnov has been dishonest with the FBI, leading to his arrest last week. Smirnov, who is 43 years old and holds dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, was initially released by a Nevada judge earlier this week. However, on Thursday, he was re-arrested after a different judge intervened in his release. Federal prosecutors argued that Smirnov posed a flight risk, prompting a California judge to order his arrest once again.
Prosecutors have accused Smirnov of actively spreading new falsehoods that could potentially impact U.S. elections. The DOJ has appealed to the judge to keep Smirnov in custody until his trial on charges of lying to the FBI.
The most recent charges were filed in Los Angeles, California, which is known for its deep blue political leanings. If the case proceeds to trial, it will take place there. Numerous sealed entries were recorded in the court docket.
However, there is a lack of immediate information regarding his return to custody. Smirnov faces charges of making a false statement and fabricating a false record.
Attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld reported that Smirnov was apprehended on Thursday morning at their legal offices in downtown Las Vegas on the same charges. Prosecutors allege that Smirnov misled his handler by claiming that executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid President Biden and Hunter Biden $5 million each around 2015.
This assertion played a significant role in the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress.
