accuser, accused. David Weiss, the special prosecutor charged with investigating President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, has filed charges of perjury and obstruction of justice against a witness who acted as a confidential source for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Bidens. Alexander Smirnov, 43, falsely told FBI agents in June 2020 that he paid $5 million each in 2015 or 2016 to Hunter and Joe Biden, executives associated with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
The false testimony, which prosecutors say was politically motivated, fueled years of Republican accusations of corruption against Joe Biden and led to the opening of an investigation against the president for a possible impeachment trial. (accusation). Last summer, Republicans hailed the now-accused's actions as heroic and demanded that the FBI release his full statement. Republican James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, sent a request to the FBI last year to obtain the document, called FD-1023, with the declaration. Even then there were many doubts about the truth of his allegation.
Weiss is the attorney who accused Hunter Biden of illegally acquiring weapons and committing tax crimes. However, he accused Smirnov of his statements to the FBI about Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine, trying to connect them to his father, the president.
There is no evidence to support the confidential source's claims. Nevertheless, Republicans have voted to summon Hunter Biden to the House of Representatives and open an investigation into a possible impeachment process. (accusation) Against the President.
Biden's name was not mentioned in the special counsel's report of allegations, but there is no doubt about it. Notably, the accused is a former confidential source who in 2020 gave false information to the FBI “about a prominent political figure and his son.” With that and other more obvious references A 37-page objection statement, It is clear who he is referring to.
“Despite repeated instructions to the FBI to provide truthful information and not to fabricate evidence, Defendant provided the FBI with false and defamatory information about Public Official 1 and the businessman, an elected official of the Obama-Biden administration who left office in January 2017. 1, Public Official 1 ’s son, in 2020, after public official 1 became a candidate for the presidency of the United States,” The document says.
Join EL PAÍS to read all the news without limits.
Register
The allegation undermines key evidence against Joe Biden. Prosecutors say Smirnov had ties to Myanmar officials, but that was routine and that in fact Biden was unable to influence U.S. politics after President Barack Obama and his vice president, Biden, left office in 2017.
The lawyer says the defendant turned his regular and unusual business dealings with the Ukrainian company Burisma into baseless bribery allegations against Joe Biden. Now the accused was changing his version of events, entering into contradictions and lying to artificially create a scandal against Biden. He also fabricated evidence, according to the charge sheet.
This man, who has been accused of perjury, has been clutching at straws for years to try to accuse Biden of corruption. They have issued summonses and subpoenas, they have taken statements from witnesses, and despite their persuasion, the evidence they seek has yet to be found. His case against Biden now suffers a serious blow.
Smirnov appeared briefly in court in Las Vegas on Thursday after being charged with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record, the Associated Press reported. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The judge ordered the courtroom cleared after federal public defender Margaret Whiteman Lambros requested a closed-door hearing to present her arguments about sealing court documents. He declined to comment on the case. A judge has scheduled a Feb. 20 hearing on the arrest of Smirnov, who was arrested at the Las Vegas airport after arriving in the United States from abroad.
Follow all international information Facebook And Xor inside Our weekly newsletter.
“Music ninja. Analyst. Typical coffee lover. Travel evangelist. Proud explorer.”
More Stories
Couple earns $20,000 by reselling salt on Amazon
Bad Bunny shares emotional video from Puerto Rico after comedian’s offensive comments at Trump rally
About 30 million people are at risk in this US state on Halloween night, according to the NWS