In a dramatic turn of events, a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, has been sentenced to six years behind bars for fabricating stories about President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, accepting bribes. Smirnov, who holds dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, admitted to making up false claims that led to a Republican investigation into the Biden family.
Let’s break it down.
In December, Smirnov pleaded guilty to four charges of making false statements. These lies were not only about the Bidens but also included hiding millions of dollars in income—a whole different crime he also owned up to.
One of the key lies that Smirnov spread was that the head of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, had paid the Bidens $5 million. This false claim was central to the investigation launched by the House GOP into the Biden family. Smirnov later admitted that he had intentionally spread “false derogatory information” about both President Biden and Hunter.
His time behind bars began in February 2024 when he was arrested for making these false claims to the FBI. The Justice Department later confirmed that the information he reported to authorities in 2020 was fabricated from the start.
As if that wasn’t enough, Smirnov also faced tax evasion charges. He was indicted in late November 2024 for hiding millions in income and making false statements on his tax returns. These charges were handled by Special Counsel David Weiss, the same prosecutor who dealt with Hunter Biden’s tax and gun case.
Even though Smirnov is now facing a lengthy sentence, he will get credit for the time he’s already served in prison since February 2024. The court also recommended that he be considered for the Bureau of Prisons Residential Drug Abuse Program.
It’s clear that Smirnov’s lies had far-reaching consequences, and now, justice is catching up with him.c
