Alexander Smirnov, a California man who was previously an FBI informant, is now facing new charges of tax evasion from special counsel David Weiss, according to court records. The case against Smirnov stems from allegations that he lied to federal agents and pushed fake criminal allegations against President Biden and his son Hunter.
Smirnov, who had been an FBI informant for about a decade, provided information to federal investigators that his defense attorneys claimed demonstrated his loyalty to the United States. However, Weiss, the Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. attorney who continued to investigate the Hunter Biden probes under the Biden administration, alleged in a February 2024 indictment that Smirnov had made false claims to FBI handlers about the Bidens dating back to 2020.
According to the charging documents, Smirnov falsely told investigators that both Hunter and Mr. Biden had accepted $5 million each from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. These claims were deemed false by prosecutors, who accused Smirnov of knowingly providing inaccurate information.
Smirnov, who was born in Ukraine according to court records, pleaded not guilty to the charges. His defense team accused prosecutors of targeting their client due to the rejection of plea resolutions offered to Hunter Biden. Smirnov remains in pretrial detention pending trial.
In a surprising turn of events, federal prosecutors filed a separate indictment against Smirnov just weeks before his scheduled trial on the initial charges. This new indictment alleged that Smirnov had concealed millions of dollars in income from the IRS between 2020 and 2022. The unreported income was allegedly used to purchase a Las Vegas apartment, a Bentley, and make payments on credit card debt. The sources of the funds were not explicitly named, but court records pointed to payments from a company identified as “Company 1” and an unnamed individual.
The indictment stated that Smirnov created and filed false income tax returns to conceal the income he had received. The judge overseeing the initial case against Smirnov, District Court Judge Otis Wright, delayed the trial on the false statements charges until January in light of the new tax evasion charges.
David Chesnoff, Smirnov’s attorney, indicated that his client intends to vigorously defend against the new charges, similar to how he is approaching the initial case. A spokesperson for Weiss declined to comment on the matter when contacted by CBS News.
Earlier in the year, prosecutors had alleged that Smirnov’s false claims against the Bidens were documented in an FBI document known as an FD 1023. Congressional Republicans had previously cited these allegations as evidence of wrongdoing, but investigators later determined that the claims were fabricated. Smirnov’s attorneys argued that the case against him was politically motivated, while prosecutors maintained that the claims were baseless and lacked evidence.
In court records, the special counsel mentioned that Smirnov had disclosed contacts with foreign intelligence officials, including Russian intelligence agencies. Defense attorneys disputed these allegations, calling them baseless. The mounting questions about Smirnov’s credibility prompted law enforcement experts to suggest an audit of all cases involving him.
Weiss had previously secured a conviction against Hunter Biden on illegal gun charges and obtained a guilty plea from him in a tax fraud case. Hunter Biden is set to be sentenced in both cases later in the month, following a tumultuous legal battle between Weiss’s office and Hunter Biden’s legal team. The handling of the Hunter Biden probe by the special counsel has drawn criticism from members of Congress and whistleblowers.
Overall, the case against Alexander Smirnov continues to unfold, with new charges being brought against him and a trial on the false statements charges postponed. The complex legal saga involving Smirnov, the Bidens, and the special counsel David Weiss highlights the intricacies and challenges of high-profile investigations and prosecutions. As the legal proceedings progress, more details are expected to emerge, shedding light on the intricate web of allegations and defenses surrounding the case.
