Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, whose bombshell whistleblower information played a massive role in the investigation into the Biden family's alleged bribery scheme, was recently indicted for reportedly lying about it.
Smirnov was indicted in February for allegedly lying to his FBI handler about a bribery scheme involving Hunter Biden and his father, President Joe Biden, which was part of the basis of an impeachment against the president.
According to the New York Post, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), during a recent speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation conference, took all the credit for Smirnov's eventual arrest and indictment.
Many believe that there's far more to the story and that Smirnov was even possibly set up in a "deep state" attempt to discredit Joe Biden's impeachment investigation.
Grassley was quick to take credit for Smirnov's arrest during a symposium on the “weaponization of media, lawfare, and the Hunter Biden investigation" at the conservative conference.
"Except for my listening to the Department of Justice and FBI whistleblowers, that ‘highly credible’ liar would still be on the FBI payroll, continuing to lie to the FBI, and maybe continuing to get people convicted that shouldn’t be convicted," Grassley, 90, said.
Grassley speaks at @Heritage weaponization event on why he published the FD-1023 containing damning, but now allegedly false, claims about the Bidens.
“Congress can’t sit on documents like that without making it public,” he said.
Says it forced DOJ to act and indict Smirnov. pic.twitter.com/G2rqg87TFq
— Ashley Oliver (@asholiver) April 9, 2024
The NY Post noted:
Grassley, who did not mention Smirnov by name, noted that the “highly credible” source had been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by the FBI since 2010, his information had been “used in criminal investigations and prosecutions” and he had been “given authority to even commit illegal acts” in some cases.
"So credible was this source, the FBI used the credibility as a basis to withhold the [FD-]1023 document from Congress," Grassley added, referencing the report that alleged the bribery scheme.
He went on to say that he and a fellow Republican senator now have the names of the FBI agents involved in that particular form, and will be questioning them.
The Iowa senator pointed out the length of time Smirnov had been on the government's payroll before ultimately accusing him of lying.
"After 13 years on the FBI’s payroll, the Biden administration considered him a liar and then indicted him,” Grassley said. “The FBI exposed their own source by name to the world, after telling Congress that he’s too credible," Grassley said.
"I’ve never made any accusations in this investigation of President Biden being guilty of anything," the senator added, "but I am in this to make sure that the FBI does its job of law enforcement."
House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R-KY), has vowed that Smirnov's indictment will not stop him from proceeding with the investigation into the Biden family.
