The FBI informant who originally told his handler about a $5 million bribe involving Joe Biden and Hunter Biden was recently arrested for lying about that information.
According to Fox News, as the drama continues to play out, prosecutors in the case now say that Alexander Smirnov had high-level contacts with Russian intelligence officials.
His information regarding the bribes was considered a crucial part of the eventual impeachment inquiry opened against President Biden.
Revelations that Smirnov might have been influenced by Russian intelligence officials opens a whole new can of worms.
Reportedly, before Smirnov's arrest last week, he admitted in a meeting that he had high-level contacts within Russian intelligence, and even had a trip planned to meet with them soon.
He also admitted "officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story" about Hunter Biden and the bribery claims that launched multiple investigations into Hunter Biden and his father.
Prosecutors in the case say that Smirnov's contacts with Russian intelligence officials "were recent and extensive."
Russia Was Feeding Info to the GOP’s Star Hunter Biden Witness: DOJ
Alexander Smirnov told U.S. law enforcement that Russian intelligence officials had been “involved in passing a story” about the president's son.
More: https://t.co/nDr5X2HSFy pic.twitter.com/WHmyEaubwk
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) February 20, 2024
Fox News noted:
They said Smirnov has had numerous contacts with a person he described as the "son of a former high-ranking government official" and "someone with ties to a particular Russian intelligence service." They said there is a serious risk that Smirnov could flee overseas to avoid facing trial.
The report noted that prosecutors going after Smirnov revealed the information regarding the potential Russian connection to convince a judge that he's a flight risk.
Given the nature of the bizarre story with surprising -- and convenient -- twists, many believe that the Russian narrative is a continuation of what has played out in the past regarding Russian collusion hoaxes and the like.
"The new Alexander Smirnov Russia contact lie has 4 purposes: 1. Tie Trump and the 2024 election to Russia 2. Make Biden the "good guy" 3. Bring more Ukraine spending bill pressure 4. Get Comer to resign from Congress The problem is nobody believes the media anymore," JD Sharp wrote on X.
Another X user wrote, "Are we forgetting that the FBI vouched for Smirnov as a credible source? He was on their payroll 15 years. Was the FBI duped, or were they pushing a known false informant to discredit Comer? Is Russia running the FBI?"
Only time will tell what else comes out of Smirnov's arrest.
