Convicted former FBI informant, accused of fabricating bribery allegations against the Bidens, upholds jail sentence, as decided by the judge.
Feds Deny Release of Ex-Informant Tied to Biden Bribery Claims
In an unexpected turn of events, a federal judge has blocked the release of Alexander Smirnov, an ex-FBI informant, from his prison sentence despite the U.S. government mulling over his case.
Smirnov, 44, found himself in hot water after being convicted of tax evasion and lying to the FBI about a fabricated bribery scheme designed to sway the 2020 presidential election. This development, announced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Otis Wright in LA, comes as the new prosecutor assigned to Smirnov's case filed a motion to release him while he appeals his conviction.
However, Judge Wright expressed concerns about Smirnov's potential for flight, stating that his convictions and 72-month prison sentence make him highly motivated to flee.
Smirnov's stint in custody stretches back to February 2024, following his arrest at the Las Vegas airport upon his return from overseas. As a dual U.S. and Israeli citizen, Smirnov misled his FBI handler about allegedly receiving payments from Ukrainian energy company Burisma. He claimed, falsely, that executives from the company had bestowed $5 million each onto then-Vice President Biden and his son Hunter around 2015.
These explosive claims only added fuel to the fire when they resurfaced years later during the House impeachment inquiry into Biden. Despite Republican efforts to use the made-up story against Biden, the impeachment effort was dismissed as a "stunt" by the Biden administration.
David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, Smirnov's attorneys, have announced that they will appeal the judge's decision and continue advocating for his release. Meanwhile, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles has elected to maintain silence on the matter.
Smirnov originally faced charges brought on by former Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, who parted ways with the department in January as President Donald Trump prepared for his second term in the White House.
Although news outlets have covered Smirnov's past alleged misdeeds, there's limited information available on the recent court decision that denied his release. A thorough examination of legal documents or direct news updates from reliable sources may provide further insights into the ruling.
For up-to-date coverage on Hunter Biden, visit our website's dedicated hub: https://our website/hub/hunter-biden.
- The denial of Alexander Smirnov's release by the federal judge could have implications for business and media, as Smirnov's claims about Ukrainian energy company Burisma and potential bribery have previously been tied to political figures like Joe Biden.
- The ongoing case of Alexander Smirnov, an ex-FBI informant, is also relevant to policy-and-legislation, as it involves issues of tax evasion, lying to federal authorities, and the implications of one's citizenship on legal proceedings.
- The general-news landscape and crime-and-justice sectors are closely watching the development in the case of Alexander Smirnov, the ex-informant embroiled in the Biden bribery claims, as his legal team continues to appeal against his conviction and imprisonment.
