Staff Reports
House Republicans are up in arms about a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who played a key role in the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The Justice Department has recently indicted Smirnov on charges of making false statements, and the Republicans are demanding answers from the FBI about the informant’s past 14 years as an inside source.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) fired off a letter to the FBI, demanding documents that shed light on Smirnov’s involvement as an informant. The Republicans accused the FBI of dragging its feet and only investigating Smirnov’s credibility after he became a thorn in the Democrats’ side during the impeachment inquiry.
Republicans argue that the FBI’s sudden scrutiny of Smirnov smacks of political bias, and they believe the agency only took action after Smirnov alleged that President Joe Biden had accepted a bribe from a Ukrainian energy company. They insist that the FBI had vouched for Smirnov’s credibility, only to backpedal when his statements turned out to be false.
In their letter, Jordan and Comer set a deadline of March 15 for the FBI to cough up information on any criminal cases that relied on Smirnov’s info, details of his compensation, and records that prompted the FBI to question his accuracy. The Republicans are also digging into the FBI’s use of FD-1023 forms (used to record information from informants), trying to uncover any indications of bias or mismanagement.
The GOP’s pursuit of answers has sparked a furor among Democrats and Biden supporters, who claim that the Republicans’ impeachment push was based on lies. But the Republicans are standing by their investigation, pushing back on accusations of being misled by the FBI and pointing the finger squarely at the agency for any missteps.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence linking Joe Biden to criminal activity, Republicans remain relentless in their quest to uncover any potential wrongdoing. They are determined to unravel the web of allegations surrounding Joe and Hunter Biden, including claims of improper use of power and influence, and dubious foreign business dealings.
The Republicans are undeterred by the criticism and scrutiny from their Democratic counterparts, who have dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated witch hunt. The battle lines are drawn, and the Republicans are not backing down in their pursuit of the truth, no matter where it leads.
