Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant facing accusations of cooking up a multimillion-dollar bribery story about President Joe Biden and his family, now has even more trouble on his plate. Federal prosecutors in California have charged him with tax evasion, saying he hid millions of dollars in income between 2020 and 2022.
These new charges, revealed this week, come just months after Smirnov was arrested for allegedly making up claims about the Bidens and a Ukrainian energy company. Prosecutors say Smirnov falsely accused the Biden family of taking bribes from Burisma, a well-known energy firm, in exchange for influence and protection.
According to court documents, Smirnov claimed that Burisma executives paid $5 million each to Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, back in 2015 or 2016. He also alleged that Hunter was hired to use his family connections to shield the company from trouble. But investigators argue that Smirnov had no evidence to back up these claims. In fact, they say he only had routine business ties with Burisma in 2017 and invented the bribery story because he had a bias against Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign.
Smirnov’s legal troubles don’t end there. The Justice Department special counsel, David Weiss, now accuses him of lying on his tax returns and trying to dodge paying what he owed. Smirnov’s lawyers insist he’s innocent and plan to fight both cases in court.
Meanwhile, Smirnov’s original trial, where he’s accused of making up the bribery allegations, is set to start on January 8. He’s pleaded not guilty and denies all wrongdoing.
On a related note, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s son, has his own legal battles. He’s facing sentencing next month for charges involving tax evasion and lying on a gun purchase form back in 2018. Prosecutors say Hunter avoided paying $1.4 million in taxes, adding more drama to the ongoing saga.
It’s a complex web of accusations, but one thing is clear: Smirnov and Hunter Biden both have tough days ahead in court.
