LAS VEGAS — In a recent ruling, a federal judge has refused a request from the U.S. government for the release of a former FBI informant who played a key role in fabricating allegations involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. These allegations, suggesting that they accepted bribes, later became a focal point in the Republican-led impeachment attempts.
U.S. District Judge Otis Wright, in Los Angeles, handed down this decision on Wednesday. This comes in the wake of a newly reassigned prosecutor, who, alongside Alexander Smirnov’s legal team, had petitioned to have him released during the appeals process for his conviction. The government’s motion indicated a potential revisitation of their stance on the case.
In his official statement, Judge Wright noted that Smirnov continues to pose a flight risk, despite the government’s intention to possibly reassess the case. “Smirnov’s conviction and the associated seventy-two-month prison sentence provide substantial motivation for him to flee,” Wright highlighted.
Earlier this year in January, Smirnov, who is 44 years old, received his sentence after he admitted guilt to tax evasion and providing false information to the FBI concerning the falsified bribery plot. Previous prosecutors labeled this scheme as an attempt to sway the 2020 presidential election outcomes.
Smirnov’s attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, have expressed their disagreement with the ruling and confirmed their intention to appeal. They vowed to continue striving for Smirnov’s release. Meanwhile, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles has chosen not to offer a comment on the matter.
Originally, Smirnov faced legal action under former Justice Department special counsel David Weiss. Weiss stepped down in January, shortly before President Donald Trump resumed his position for a second term.
Smirnov, who has been in custody since February 2024, was apprehended at the Las Vegas airport upon returning from overseas. As a dual citizen of the U.S. and Israel, Smirnov falsely informed his FBI contact that in approximately 2015, executives at the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma paid then-Vice President Joe Biden and his son a sum of $5 million each.
This explosive revelation in 2020 aligned with Smirnov’s previously expressed bias against Biden as a presidential challenger, prosecutors revealed. Contrary to his claims, investigations disclosed that Smirnov’s interactions with Burisma were purely business-related and commenced in 2017, after Biden had concluded his vice presidency.
Authorities reported that Smirnov’s deceptive assertions created significant turmoil in Congress when they resurfaced during the House’s impeachment inquiry into current President Biden, who had emerged victorious over Trump in the 2020 election. The Biden administration dismissed these impeachment maneuvers as mere “stunts.”
During his tenure, Weiss had also initiated gun and tax-related charges against Hunter Biden. Although Hunter was expected to be sentenced in December, following a gun trial conviction and admitting guilt to tax offences, he received a pardon from his father. President Biden argued that “raw politics tainted the process, leading to an unjust outcome.”