House Republicans demand info from FBI about Alexander Smirnov, informant charged with lying about Bidens

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: March 1, 2024 / 2:02 PM EST


Washington — House Republicans on Friday demanded information from the FBI about a confidential source now charged with lying about purported bribes paid to President Biden and his son, an allegation that GOP lawmakers used as one justification for opening an impeachment inquiry into the president.

Alexander Smirnov, 43, served as a confidential FBI source for 14 years before he was charged and arrested last month for allegedly lying to federal investigators in 2020. Prosecutors said he fabricated a claim that an executive at a Ukrainian energy company told him in 2015 or 2016 that the firm paid the Bidens bribes of $5 million each.

An FBI document memorializing his claims became the subject of a bitter back-and-forth between congressional Republicans and the FBI last summer. The bureau resisted GOP lawmakers' calls to hand over the document, known as an FD-1023, saying that doing so could compromise a valuable source. The FBI eventually allowed some lawmakers to review the record, and Republicans trumpeted the bribery allegations as evidence of wrongdoing by the president. The GOP-led House voted to formalize an impeachment inquiry against Mr. Biden in December.

In February, a federal grand jury in California indicted Smirnov on two counts of making a false statement and creating a fictitious record, referring to the FD-1023. Prosecutors said Smirnov did not meet the Ukrainian energy executive until 2017, the year after he said the executive told him about the supposed bribes. The federal charges stemmed from the investigation into Hunter Biden led by special counsel David Weiss. Smirnov is being held behind bars pending trial and has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alexander-smirnov-house-republicans-fbi-informant/

[Lovie777]

1. They already know..........................

bullshit time again.

[peppertree]

28. Exactly. They just want to know how much THE FBI knows.

"Shit, Mike. They know about the hookers!"

"Whut hookers!?"

"Ah - er. Never mind."

[ananda]

2. Is this also illegal and unconstitutional?

??

[riversedge]

12. This is an active criminal case, so I do not see the FBI releasing any information IMHO

[Mr.Bill]

36. We're seeing a pattern here.

They keep asking for documents they have no right to see. And they know it. It gives them a place to lay the blame as to why their investigations are coming up with notheing.

[gohuskies]

3. The Rethugs are all about obstructing DOJ investigations

Corrupt to core and unwilling to do the real work they were (se)lected to do when they swore the oath to the nation and our Constitution. God do I despise them all.

[SouthernDem4ever]

34. Their only MO is trying to discredit law enforcement to cover up their crimes.

[calimary]

4. Can I just say I don't give a rat's ass about ANYTHING Republicans "demand"?

Fuck ‘em! AND their “demands”!

[2naSalit]

10. It's all bluster at this point...

They have nothing and they know, we know it and they think they can make us unknow it. At the very least it's the latest incarnation of, SQUIRREL!

[orangecrush]

31. This

And I hope the FBI tells them to fuck off.

[emulatorloo]

5. Here's the info: he's a liar and a Russian asset. And you Republicans are enablers of Putin's minions.

[underpants]

6. 🏆

👍

[Maeve]

7. Did they stamp their little feet and threaten to hold their breath?

[lastlib]

8. Pound sand, Gymmy-Boy.

You too, comer. And johnson. And sporkfoot.

This is an on-going investigation, and you don't get shit unless you're eating it.

[SergeStorms]

17. Sporkfoot.

I'd forgotten all about that.

Thanks for the reminder.

[C_U_L8R]

9. They just want to know if they're at risk.

In spite of all the corrupt things they do, they sure aren't very good at it.

[rubbersole]

11. Their exposure has to freak them out.

To quote a phrase - "Two words"...too late, bitches.

[NJCher]

13. They were given all the information they needed

from the FBI. The FBI told them he was unreliable. That's all they needed to know and they chose to ignore it.

That is what the FBI should say to their request.

This is more theatrics at taxpayer expenses. It has to stop.

[Ford_Prefect]

14. They knew be fore they made this demand. They are asking as if nothing had been said at all.

[4lbs]

15. Hey, House GOP, here's your Catch-22.

Is he important or not?

1.) If he IS important, shouldn't you be.. umm... concerned that he was caught, arrested and indicted, for lying about nearly everything?

2._ If he IS NOT important, then umm... why would you need any info on him?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

16. After Gym fesses up about what he knew about the OSU team doctor

[Martin68]

18. Ooh, I hope they pursue this avenue of investigation.

Who knows where it might lead? An anti-Biden bias in the FBI?

[wolfie001]

19. Gouliani had and has (past/present) many enablers at the NYC FBI

I'm convinced of it. Their corruption is far and wide and deep. Republican corruption.

[samsingh]

20. ignore these traitors

[twodogsbarking]

21. Thus the expression "egg on their faces".

[bucolic_frolic]

22. Yes, now the paranoia twists yet again, a Deep State plant to snooker their stupid ass brains

It just never ends. MAGA thinking on a diet of marshmallows.

[ificandream]

23. Wait ... so they didn't vet him??

The Repugh cons got conned.

[Midnight Writer]

24. Republicans want to interfere in yet another ongoing criminal investigation.

If Republicans think Smirnov is innocent and being railroaded by deep state rogue DOJ, then they can submit evidence of that.

But they don't think that.

They know he is guilty, just as they know Trump is guilty.

They don't care.

They do not defend them based on their presumed innocence.

Instead, they try to interfere with the course of justice through interference, tainting evidence, lying, delaying, facetious legal arguments such as "absolute immunity" (a concept totally foreign to USA law), obfuscating, personal attacks (including threats) against witnesses, attacks against judges, prosecutors and law enforcement, and ultimately attacking democracy and the rule of law.

These are not the acts of innocent people.

[Zambero]

25. "How dare you challenge the source of our lies!"

The GOP once again pulls out their Roy Cohn script: Push back, interfere, cast doubt, and destroy credibility.

[Ocelot II]

26. They relied on a witness they knew to be unreliable.

What do they think the FBI can give them (not that it will) that would change that?

[relayerbob]

27. They want to know...

If he’s singing about them. Fuck them, let them sweat

[AllaN01Bear]

29. enough. havent yall done enough? how much more are u going to waste our money.

should have done your duty 3 years ago. but nooo. more dirt on hunter , but her emails . im amaiZed that hasnt come uo again. enough i say.

[Traildogbob]

30. Tell you what House traitors

“We” that pay your fucking salaries DEMAND that House, Senate, President and SC Russians Be Tried, convicted, and punished to the harshest extent that the Constitution specifies, (under the Judgeship of never trumper appointees) and take your God Damned Nazi Humpers with you.
If I hear Gym demand another thing…………. Well, you don’t wanna know the end of that thought.
And he can take that “harshest punishment” with his jacket off out of respect.
Too harsh, it’s in the damn rule book?
I won’t say hang, cause when you’re on that high road you don’t bring gallows to a takeover.
Yet!
Firing squads are mentioned in those allowed punishment rules, they love their guns so they might enjoy that, so do not give em any “choices”. They hate those as well.

[FakeNoose]

32. Folks, enjoy the show!

[bpj62]

33. No Dice

DOJ told Jim Jordan to go pound sand. This is an active criminal investigation and not a single law enforcement agency on a county state or federal level is going to allow an outside party to look at thier investigation. The subpoena also violates the separation clause.
This is all a show for the base. Jordan will come and say that the DOJ is hiding something and doing it because the Biden Administration told them to. He will pound his fist on the podium and yell that he has oversight powers and the DOJ must acquiesce to his request. The rubes, excuse me I mean the base of the MAGA party will lap it up because they are too stupid to understand how the three branches o government actually work as well as knowing exactly what each branch can and cannot demand from the other branch.

On an aside a teacher from the high school I went to recently passed away. During my time there he taught American Civics as well as Government and History. He would take his students on living history field trips every year so that we could attempt to participate in and better understand how our government was formed and how it worked. He taught for 32 years and many of his students became teachers as well. Sadly Civics is rarely taught anymore and as a result we see the results of that lack of education in the MAGA party every day.

[PortTack]

35. NO!!