A former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, was sentenced to six years in federal prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to fabricating claims about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s so-called involvement with Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings.
Court records reveal that Smirnov provided false information to his FBI handler in 2020, alleging that Burisma executives paid $5 million in bribes to both Joe and Hunter Biden. Smirnov also falsely claimed that Hunter Biden was hired to protect Burisma from problems by leveraging his father’s influence while Joe Biden was vice president.
Smirnov’s fabricated claims briefly gained traction among Republican lawmakers and were included in a now-abandoned effort to impeach Joe Biden.
Prosecutors, led by Special Counsel David Weiss, argued that Smirnov exploited his position of trust with the FBI to provide false information during the 2020 presidential election, attempting to influence its outcome.
“The defendant decided in 2020 to exploit the position of trust he enjoyed with the FBI in order to provide false information about one of the candidates for President of the United States,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Smirnov also admitted to tax evasion as part of his plea deal. Lawyers for Smirnov requested a reduced four-year sentence, citing his acceptance of responsibility and personal downfall resulting from the case. However, U.S. District Judge Otis Wright in Los Angeles delivered a six-year sentence as recommended by prosecutors.
Hunter Biden’s role on Burisma’s board has drawn scrutiny from Republican lawmakers for years, despite no evidence linking Joe Biden to any wrongdoing. Smirnov’s claims, which were documented in an FBI record, briefly became a focus of partisan efforts to impeach Joe Biden before being discredited.
Special Counsel Weiss, who has investigated Hunter Biden on separate tax and gun charges, has now closed those cases after Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon for his son last month, ending both prosecutions.
