Alexander Smirnov, an FBI informant whose false accusations of bribery involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter sparked political controversy, has admitted to lying. Smirnov is set to plead guilty to charges of tax evasion and obstructing justice as part of a plea deal filed in California on Thursday.
Smirnov’s fabricated claims alleged that Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, paid bribes to Joe Biden during his time as vice president and to Hunter Biden, who served on the company’s board. According to the plea documents, Smirnov distorted routine business interactions with Burisma into baseless bribery allegations, driven by his political bias against Biden, who was a leading presidential candidate in 2020.
“The events Defendant first reported to the Handler in June 2020 were fabrications,” the plea documents state. Smirnov’s false statements fueled a wave of political attacks and misinformation about the Biden family that continued into 2023, as special counsel David Weiss investigated Hunter Biden for tax and firearms charges.
In addition to the fabricated claims, Smirnov admitted to decades of financial misconduct. Between 2000 and 2022, he earned more than $2 million but reported only a fraction of his income to the IRS. The untaxed funds were spent on luxury purchases, including a Bentley lease and a Las Vegas condo.
Under the plea agreement, prosecutors and Smirnov’s attorneys have recommended a sentence of four to six years in prison. The court has not yet scheduled a hearing for his plea.
