A federal judge has ordered law enforcement officers to imprison an indicted FBI informant pending his trial. Alexander Smirnov, the informant, faced charges related to planning a bribery scheme involving Hunter Biden and his father, President Joe Biden.
U.S. District Judge Otis Wright II in Los Angeles issued the order following concerns raised by prosecutors. Prosecutors claimed Smirnov had connections to Russian intelligence and could flee the country. Judge Wright believed that the conditions of release he could impose would mitigate the risk of Smirnov fleeing the country.
“There is nothing garden variety about this case,” Wright said before announcing his decision. “I have not changed my mind. This man will be remanded pending trial.” It was alleged that Smirnov falsely informed his FBI handler that Ukrainian energy company Burisma executives had paid $5 million each to Biden and his son in 2015.
The money was allegedly paid to ensure that Hunter “will take care of all those issues through his dad.” During Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy, Smirnov initially made the allegations in 2020. He was accused of falsely claiming to the FBI that executives from the company informed him in 2015 and 2016 that they had enlisted Hunter Biden to “protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems.”
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But Smirnov pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against him. The claim took center stage in the Republican-led impeachment inquiry of President Biden in Congress. Smirnov was apprehended on Wednesday at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas after an indictment by a federal grand jury in California.
According to Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, Smirnov possesses access to $6 million and holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Israel. He also contacts foreign intelligence agencies who could facilitate his relocation to another country. Weiss advocated for Smirnov’s detention pending trial.
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However, Smirnov’s legal representatives, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, countered by stating that Smirnov resided in Las Vegas. They also proposed that various restrictions could be imposed to ensure his presence pending trial. They suggested options, including posting a bond, implementing financial limits, and subjecting him to house arrest.
But despite the arguments presented by Smirnov’s lawyers, Wright ultimately chose to maintain his detention pending trial. Smirnov’s legal team states he has no prior criminal record and has strong ties to the United States. “He intends to vigorously defend these allegations, having never been in trouble his entire life,” Chesnoff said.
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Hunter Biden is expected to give a deposition on Wednesday about his business to the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees. He, Joe Biden, and the White House have denied bribery allegations. Hunter stated that the president did not benefit from his business dealings.
“There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was involved in my business because it did not happen,” Hunter Biden said in December while defying a House subpoena for closed-door testimony.
Smirnov’s lawyers have filed an appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeal contended that Judge Wright lacked the authority to order his arrest. However, the appeals court rejected the request on Sunday, declining to halt the hearing or reassign the case to another judge.
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