Alexander Smirnov, the former FBI informant charged with lying to the bureau about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, was remanded to custody Monday, pending trial.
Appearing in court Monday, Smirnov said very little except answering “yes” when asked if he understood the case against him. He entered a plea of not guilty to the counts against him.
Smirnov was arrested earlier this month on charges that he concocted “fabrications” about the president and his son accepting $5 million in bribes from the Ukrainian energy giant Burisma — which Republicans have repeatedly cited as a driving force in their efforts to impeach the president.
After being released by the court following his arrest, he was then rearrested last week and held in custody.
U.S. District Judge Otis Wright had ordered Smirnov to appear in court Monday as the judge considered keeping Smirnov detained. Special counsel David Weiss had asked the judge for Smirnov to be held until his trial date.
His attorneys made a plea Monday for his release, arguing that he has never committed a crime, that he worked for the U.S. government, and that he has never been accused of lying before.
Justice Department officials argued that he is a major flight risk.
Hunter Biden in Rayburn Building on Jan. 10, 2024.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, FILE
The judge agreed with the DOJ.
“There is nothing garden variety about this case,” he said, ordering Smirnov held until trial.
In a filing last week, Weiss’ office alleged Smirnov had high-level contacts with Russian intelligence officials who they said were “involved in passing a story” to him about Hunter Biden.
“Smirnov’s efforts to spread misinformation about a candidate of one of the two major parties in the United States continues,” the filing stated. “What this shows is that the misinformation he is spreading is not confined to 2020. He is actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November.”
Last July, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, took the unusual step of releasing the confidential FBI informant’s unverified claim that, years ago, the Biden family “pushed” a Ukrainian oligarch to pay them $10 million.
The claim — which Democrats and the White House immediately denied — has since been cited by congressional Republicans in part to justify their impeachment inquiry into the president.
Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, has found himself at the center of a high-profile case involving allegations of lying about the Bidens. Smirnov, who had previously worked as an informant for the FBI, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and was remanded to custody pending further legal proceedings.
The accusations against Smirnov stem from his alleged involvement in spreading false information about President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. According to prosecutors, Smirnov was part of a scheme to fabricate evidence and create a false narrative in order to discredit the Bidens and influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Smirnov’s defense team has vigorously denied the allegations, arguing that he was simply acting as a whistleblower and exposing corruption within the Biden family. They maintain that Smirnov’s actions were motivated by a desire to uncover the truth and hold powerful individuals accountable for their actions.
Despite his plea of not guilty, Smirnov was ultimately remanded to custody by the judge overseeing the case. This decision was based on concerns that Smirnov posed a flight risk and could potentially tamper with evidence if released on bail. The judge also cited the seriousness of the charges against Smirnov as a factor in his decision to deny bail.
The case against Smirnov has garnered significant attention due to its implications for the ongoing debate over misinformation and disinformation in politics. The spread of false information has become a major concern in recent years, with many experts warning that it can have serious consequences for democracy and public trust in institutions.
As the legal proceedings against Smirnov continue, it remains to be seen how the case will ultimately be resolved. In the meantime, the accusations against him serve as a reminder of the importance of verifying information and being critical of sources in an era of rampant misinformation.
