WASHINGTON — A former FBI informant has been sentenced to six years in prison after admitting to lying about U.S. President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, regarding their interactions with a Ukrainian energy company. Court records reveal that Alexander Smirnov pleaded guilty to creating a false record, based on his false claims to his FBI handler about bribes allegedly paid by executives at Burisma Holdings to Joe and Hunter Biden.
Hunter Biden’s involvement on Burisma’s board has drawn significant scrutiny from Republican lawmakers for years. In addition to the false testimony, Smirnov also acknowledged charges of tax evasion.
Prosecutors, working alongside special counsel David Weiss, who has investigated issues related to Hunter Biden, recommended a six-year sentence to U.S. District Judge Otis Wright in Los Angeles. They emphasized in a court filing, “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 in an attempt to influence the outcome of the election,” referring to Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
Smirnov’s legal team requested a four-year sentence, arguing that he had taken responsibility and undergone a “personal downfall” due to the case. He falsely claimed to the FBI that Burisma executives had told him in 2015 or 2016, while Joe Biden was vice president, that they had hired Hunter Biden to “protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems.” Additionally, Smirnov fabricated allegations that Joe and Hunter Biden each received $5 million in bribes from Burisma executives.
Republican lawmakers became aware of an FBI record documenting Smirnov’s claims, which briefly became a focal point in a now-abandoned impeachment effort against Joe Biden. Special counsel Weiss also filed two criminal cases against Hunter Biden related to tax and gun charges. Recently, Joe Biden granted a sweeping pardon to his son, effectively ending both prosecutions.
