Headline Roundup • February 16th, 2024
Ex-FBI Informant Charged With Lying About Biden-Burisma Connections
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, was arrested for allegedly making false statements about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden's business dealings.
The Details: Smirnov was charged with "making a false statement … and creating a false and fictitious record". If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison. Smirnov said Ukrainian company Burisma Holdings hired Hunter to "protect" them by offering access to his father, and that Burisma had paid $5 million each to Hunter and Joe Biden for influence while Joe Biden served as Vice President. The indictment says Smirnov's claims were false and based on otherwise "unremarkable" business meetings.
For Context: Smirnov's claims about the Biden family and Burisma were part of the GOP impeachment inquiry against President Biden, which focused heavily on alleged financial corruption related to Hunter Biden's international business dealings. The claims also factored into a broader investigation of Hunter by Justice Department Special Counsel David Weiss.
Political Reactions: After the indictment was announced, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) called for the inquiry to end, but House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) said the investigation wasn't based on Smirnov’s claims.
How The Media Covered It: CBS News (Lean Left Bias) said the indictment "appears to rebut" claims that the Bidens were involved in the alleged scheming. One article from The Federalist (Right bias) called attention to other informants who purportedly lied but weren't charged. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.
Featured Coverage of this Story
A former FBI informant and Biden impeachment inquiry witness has been charged with lying about the president and his son Hunter Biden’s involvement in business dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
The ex-informant, Alexander Smirnov, has also been charged with creating false records.
If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison.
Smirnov, 43, was arrested Thursday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
Getty Images
Justice Department Special Counsel David Weiss announced Thursday that a former FBI informant was charged with “making a false statement … and creating a false and fictitious record” for statements reportedly made about President Joe Biden and his family’s business dealings, changing what were “routine and unextraordinary” contact with executives into “bribery allegations against” Biden.
Alexander Smirnov, 43, was charged and arrested at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Thursday.
The indictment alleges Smirnov “provided false and derogatory information to the FBI” about “Public Official 1” and “Businessperson 1,”...
Special Counsel David Weiss charged a former FBI informant with lying about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings with Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma.
Weiss — who has charged Hunter Biden with six felonies and six misdemeanors in two seperate criminal investigations — charged Alexander Smirnov with 18 U.S.C. § 1001: false statement, and 18 U.S.C. § 1519: creating a false and fictitious record, related to allegedly false information that he gave to his FBI handler about the Bidens.
The indictment says that Smirnov was warned by his FBI handler...
AllSides Picks
Red Blue Translator
Drug Legalization
Red Blue Translator
Capital Punishment/Death Penalty
Headline Roundup
Scott Pelley Accuses CBS, Bari Weiss of Political Bias After Being Fired
June 8th, 2026
