The individual previously involved with the FBI, accused of providing false information regarding the Bidens’ Ukraine dealings, asserted to investigators post-arrest that Russian intelligence officials had supplied him with misinformation concerning Hunter Biden. This information, prosecutors revealed in a recent court filing, was deemed false.
Prosecutors further claimed that Alexander Smirnov, post a meeting with Russian spies late last year, has been actively disseminating fresh falsehoods with potential consequences on US elections. The repercussions of his previous erroneous bribery allegations against the Bidens, they argued, persist to this day.
In the court filing, prosecutors highlighted Smirnov’s purported “extensive and extremely recent” connections with foreign intelligence officials. He allegedly asserted to the FBI about longstanding ties with Russian spies, including those he identified as high-level intelligence officers or commanding Russian assassins abroad.
The special counsel’s team under David Weiss emphasized that Smirnov admitted Russian intelligence involvement in circulating a story about “Businessperson 1,” referring to Hunter Biden, during a post-arrest interview last week.
Revelations about Smirnov’s alleged foreign connections emerged within the context of arguments by prosecutors to keep him in custody pending trial. However, a federal judge eventually granted his release with conditions, such as GPS monitoring and surrendering his passports. Smirnov chose not to respond to queries as he exited the courthouse on Tuesday evening.
Prosecutors contended that Smirnov asserts having ties with various foreign intelligence agencies, potentially enabling him to flee the US. This disclosure coincides with the ongoing criticism of how Smirnov’s discredited allegations influenced House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into the president.
Facing charges of lying to the FBI and creating false records, Smirnov has not yet entered a formal plea. His lawyers, in a statement to CNN, emphasized his presumption of innocence.
As per the new court filing, Smirnov claimed contact with “four different Russian officials,” all described as “top officials.” Two of them purportedly serve as heads of their respective entities. Prosecutors did not independently verify the legitimacy of Smirnov’s reported contacts or whether the Russians provided disinformation about the Bidens.
Prosecutors emphasized the gravity of the false information Smirnov reported, stating that it targeted the presumptive nominee of a major US political party. They linked Smirnov’s false statements to the ongoing turmoil in Congress over the discredited bribery allegations, a pivotal aspect of the GOP impeachment probe.
A notable part of Smirnov’s story involved Hunter Biden allegedly being recorded making phone calls in a Kyiv hotel “wired” and “under the control of the Russians.” Federal agents refuted this story, citing that Hunter Biden has never traveled to Ukraine. Smirnov told investigators that Russian intelligence officers would use the hotel to intercept calls made by “prominent US persons,” potentially for use as “kompromat” in the 2024 election.
Prosecutors underscored that Smirnov’s efforts to spread misinformation persist, pointing out a meeting with Russian intelligence officials as recent as November and December 2023. They expressed concern about the risk of Smirnov fleeing to evade accountability, a concern the judge acknowledged while granting his release but warned against making a mockery of the situation.
