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☆ Exclusive: Russia-linked smear campaign against Hunter Biden began earlier than previously thought
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The man pushing the thumb drive was a citizen of an Eastern European country and a guest of Claremont. That evening, Rollie passed a thumb drive containing disinformation about Hunter Biden and Burisma to a Pompeo aide. Smirnov was indicted last week for lying to the FBI about Hunter Biden. The revelation about Rollie's thumb drive comes shortly after the indictment of Smirnov, for allegedly making false statements about Hunter Biden in June 2020. Like Smirnov, Rollie's materials accuse Hunter Biden of involving his father in Burisma's business and committing a vast off-the-books fraud.

Persons: Mike Pompeo, Hunter Biden, Rollie, Pompeo, Burisma, BI Rollie, I'm, Rollie's, Biden's, Josef, Johnathan Buma, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Peter Schweizer, Rudy Giuliani, John Solomon, Hunter, Giuliani, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Biden, David Weiss, Smirnov's, Joe Biden, GOP Sen, Charles Grassley, MAGA, Jack Posobiec, Buma, Anastasiia Carrier Organizations: Claremont Institute's, Claremont, Business, BI, KGB, Department, Claremont Institute, FBI, New York Times, Prosecutors, GOP, State Department, Justice Department, Anastasiia Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Beverly Hills, Eastern, Soviet, Los Angeles, Russian, Delaware, Ukraine, The Hill, East, West, Eastern Europe

☆ Ex-F.B.I. Informant to Appear in Federal Court in Las Vegas
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Alexander Smirnov, 43, the former F.B.I. informant accused of peddling lies about President Biden and his son Hunter, is scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday after being arrested for the second time in a week. Mr. Smirnov was sitting in his lawyer’s office in Las Vegas Thursday morning when U.S. Marshals burst in to take him into custody. The bizarre episode is the latest development in a case that has spawned public interest and confusion in equal measure, centering on an enigmatic fixer whose accusations formed the fractured bedrock of a push by Republicans to impeach Mr. Biden.

Persons: Alexander Smirnov, Biden, Hunter, Smirnov, Mr Organizations: U.S Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Fox News hyped the bogus FBI informant claims against Biden. Now its refusing to walk them back
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Days after explosive bribery claims about President Joe Biden came ripping apart at the seams, Fox News and the broader MAGA Media universe have declined to walk back their factually-challenged narrative. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) Erik McGregor/LightRocket/Getty ImagesThe lack of a retraction or any real sign of contrition comes as the Smirnov allegations continue to implode in spectacular fashion. The network functions as the main organ in the right-wing media universe and has tremendous influence over the Republican Party base. By refusing to fully acknowledge the false claims and press GOP lawmakers on their relentless promotion of it, Fox News is effectively giving GOP lawmakers permission to continue doing so. A Fox News spokesperson did not off me a comment on the network’s coverage of the revelations surrounding the informant.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, David Weiss, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, ”, Jesse Watters, baselessly, Sean Hannity, Hannity, Weiss, Donald Trump, Brooke Singman, Erik McGregor, contrition, ” Weiss, Harris Faulkner, ” Faulkner, Rupert, Lachlan Murdoch, Lachlan, Tim Miller, “, ” Miller Organizations: New York CNN, Fox News, MAGA Media, Republican, Capitol, ” Fox News, Trump, FBI, Getty, Wednesday, Republican Party, Fox, Dominion Voting Systems, U.S . Capitol, MSNBC Locations: New York, Trump Russia, Democratic, United States

☆ Putin looms over a third successive US election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —“Russia, Russia, Russia.”Ex-President Donald Trump’s scathing catch phrase for a torrent of investigations during his administration also serves as an apt catch-all for the current meltdown over Moscow roiling US politics. But Russia and its leader, whom President Joe Biden described as a “crazy S.O.B.” at a Wednesday fundraiser, won’t go away. All the ways Putin is playing in US politicsPutin is advancing Russian interests against the US on multiple fronts. Putin recently formalized his warming ties with North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un by presenting him with a new limousine. The Russian leader was particularly incensed by the US-led operation to topple Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, won’t, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Ukraine –, –, Alexander Smirnov, “, Trump, Smirnov, Biden, it’s, Putin can’t, ” Douglas, Alexey Navalny, Biden lambasts Trump, ” Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, he’s, he’d, Mike Turner, Ksenia, Paul Whelan –, Evan Gershkovich, Geopolitically, Kim Jong Un, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Moammar Gadhafi, Hillary Clinton, Robert Mueller, “ We’ll, Mueller Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, United States, European NATO, ”, Moscow, House Republicans, GOP, CIA, NATO, Republican Party, Republicans, Republican, Trump, Marine, Wall Street, Putin, Biden, US, Democratic Locations: Russia, Moscow, United States, China, Soviet, East Germany, United, Ukraine, Russian, European, Washington, Asia, Sweden, Finland, Berlin –, Europe, Ukrainian, California, North Korea, Iran, Crimea, Helsinki, Geneva

☆ Indicted ex-FBI informant admitted Russian intelligence officials passed along the Hunter Biden bribery story, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Smirnov said Russian intelligence passed along the story of the bribery claims, per a court filing. The memo also indicates that Smirnov met with Russian intelligence officials as recently as December of 2023. What this shows is that the misinformation he is spreading is not confined to 2020," the prosecutor's memo in favor of detention reads. "He is actively peddling new lies that could impact US elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November. Impact of Smirnov's indictmentSmirnov's indictment and arrest may have an impact on unrelated gun charges facing Hunter Biden.

Persons: Biden, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, —, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Obama, General, Harry Reid, David Weiss, Smirnov's, Weiss Organizations: Burisma Holdings, Service, ex, FBI, GOP, White, Business, Ukrainian, Biden, Burisma, Public, Harry, Harry Reid International, Government, Central District of, CNN, Lawyers Locations: Ukrainian, Las Vegas, Central District, Central District of California, United States

☆ The Informant Turned Defendant Who Took Aim at the Bidens
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Glenn Thrush | Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For more than a decade, he played a double game, giving the F.B.I. In 2020, Mr. Smirnov told his F.B.I. handler what prosecutors say was a brazen lie — that the oligarch owner of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma had arranged to pay $5 million bribes to both President Biden and his son Hunter. The explosive claim was leaked to Republicans, who made Mr. Smirnov’s allegations a centerpiece of their now-stalled effort to impeach President Biden, apparently without verifying the allegation. Last week, Mr. Smirnov, 43, was indicted on charges that he lied to investigators about the Bidens.

Persons: Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Burisma, Biden, Hunter Organizations: Soviet Locations: Soviet Union, Ukrainian

☆ Special counsel asks judge to send indicted ex-informant in Hunter Biden case back to jail
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Special counsel David Weiss asked a California judge Wednesday to send indicted ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov back to jail while he awaits trial. A magistrate judge in Las Vegas released Smirnov on Tuesday, finding that even enough Smirnov posed a flight risk, he could be released under certain conditions. Those conditions include GPS monitoring, confiscating his two passports, and ordering him to remain in Nevada where he currently lives. Smirnov is charged with lying to the FBI about the Biden family’s dealings in Ukraine. In the court filings, Weiss said that Smirnov repeatedly lied to his FBI handler, whom he worked with for more than a decade, and should not be trusted.

Persons: David Weiss, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Prosecutors, Weiss, ” Organizations: CNN, FBI, Las Vegas, Biden Locations: California, Las, Nevada, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Republicans to grill James Biden behind closed doors in critical interview as GOP looks for lifeline in impeachment probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Hunter Biden is expected to show for his closed-door interview next week, after intense deliberations that almost collapsed. The first check Republicans revealed went to Joe Biden in 2018 for $200,000 from James Biden and James’ wife Sara Biden. What other Biden family business associates have saidBeyond Fox and Langston, Republicans have recently interviewed a number of key Biden family business associates. Walker also attended a 2017 business meeting with Hunter Biden and Chinese business associates, where Joe Biden made an appearance. Another longtime Biden family business associate, Eric Schwerin, performed administrative and bookkeeping tasks for then-Vice President Joe Biden from 2009 to 2017.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter, James, Wednesday, Biden, Hunter Biden, Mike Johnson, —, David Weiss, Hunter Biden’s, Alexander Smirnov, Robert Hur’s, Biden’s, James Biden, James ’, Sara Biden, ”, James Comer, Comer, Carol Fox, ‘ Biden, ’, Fox, James Biden’s, Joseph Langston, Langston, “, “ Jimmy Biden, ” Langston, Rob Walker, Walker, Biden —, ” Walker, ‘, ’ ”, Eric Schwerin, ” Schwerin, Mervyn Yan, Kevin Morris, Tony Bobulinski, Georges Bergès, White, Bergès, ” Bergès Organizations: Republicans, GOP, CNN, FBI, Burisma Holdings, undercutting, White, Democratic, Banking, Republican, Biden, Kentucky Republican, Fox, Langston, “, White House Locations: South Korea, Washington ,, China, Kentucky, Americore, Romania, American

☆ Ex-Informant Accused of Lying About Bidens Said He Had Russian Contacts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Glenn Thrush | Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

informant accused of making false bribery claims about President Biden and his son Hunter — which were widely publicized by Republicans — claimed to have been fed information by Russian intelligence, according to a court filing on Tuesday. But Mr. Smirnov told federal investigators that “officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story” about Hunter Biden. Those disclosures, including Mr. Smirnov’s unverifiable claim that he met with Russian intelligence officials as recently as three months ago, made him a flight risk and endangered national security, Justice Department officials said. Mr. Smirnov had been held in custody in Las Vegas, where he has lived since 2022, since his arrest last week. He was released from custody on Tuesday on a personal recognizance bond after a detention hearing, said his lawyers, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld.

Persons: Biden, Hunter —, Republicans —, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Hunter Biden, David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld Organizations: Republicans, Justice Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Alexander Smirnov told investigators he got Hunter Biden dirt from Russian intelligence officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The former FBI informant charged with lying about the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine told investigators after his arrest that Russian intelligence officials were involved in passing information to him about Hunter Biden, prosecutors said Tuesday in a new court filing, noting that the information was false. They said he previously told the FBI that he has longstanding and extensive contacts with Russian spies, including individuals he said were high-level intelligence officers or command Russian assassins abroad. The story, prosecutors noted, matches the story Smirnov told his handler about Hunter Biden being recorded in a foreign hotel. And, prosecutors wrote, Smirnov claims to have met with Russian intelligence officials as recently as November and December 2023. “He is actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Prosecutors, Alexander Smirnov, ” Smirnov, David Weiss ’, Smirnov, “ Smirnov, Joe Biden’s, Smirnov’s, Weiss, “ Mr, ”, “, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand, Cheri Mossburg Organizations: CNN, FBI, Prosecutors, House Republicans, ” Prosecutors Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, Kyiv, Russian

☆ Hunter Biden says special counsel used Alexander Smirnov’s discredited bribery claims to derail his plea deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Hunter Biden’s lawyers accused special counsel David Weiss on Tuesday of using a since-discredited bribery allegation from an FBI informant to blow up his plea deal last year. House Republicans have championed Smirnov’s uncorroborated bribery claims against the Bidens and used his tips to fuel their impeachment inquiry into the president. Prosecutors were asked directly if the Justice Department could still bring charges against Hunter Biden under the Foreign Agents Registration Act despite the deal. Hunter Biden’s attorney, Christopher Clark, said he disagreed with the prosecutor’s assertion. Tuesday’s filing from Hunter Biden’s attorney also accused prosecutors of failing to abide by their obligation to turn over discovery in the Delaware case, including over allegations that Hunter Biden’s alleged gun bag had cocaine on it.

Persons: CNN — Hunter, David Weiss, Weiss, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Weiss ’, Joe Biden, Prosecutors, Smirnov’s, ” Hunter, ”, ” Weiss, Hunter Biden, “, Leo Wise, Hunter Biden’s, Christopher Clark, ” Wise Organizations: CNN, FBI, Republicans, Prosecutors, Justice Department, Foreign Locations: Nevada, Ukrainian, ”, Delaware

☆ House Republicans seek to downplay FBI informant charges that undermine Biden impeachment inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —House Republicans leading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden tried to downplay the importance of an FBI informant whose claims they once championed after he was charged with fabricating foreign bribery allegations involving the president and his son. Special counsel David Weiss charged the FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, with lying to the FBI and creating false records. The indictment is just the latest setback to House Republicans who are struggling to build momentum to impeach the president. In the wake of the charges, President Joe Biden called out the informant for lying and said Republicans should end their impeachment inquiry. In the wake of the charges, Republicans have seized on the idea that Smirnov was initially presented as a credible witness.

Persons: Joe Biden, David Weiss, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Biden, Jim Jordan, Jordan, James Comer, Comer, Jason Smith, Joe Biden corruptly, Hunter, Donald Trump’s, Alejandro Mayorkas, ”, Jamie Raskin, “, Johnson, Scott Brady, Brady, ” Brady, Tony Bobulinski, ” Comer, Raskin, Hunter Biden, James, CNN’s Marshall Cohen Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, FBI, Republicans, CNN, Fox, of Homeland, House Republicans, Hunter Biden, CHS, GOP Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ A tempestuous day in multiple courts deepens Trump’s legal imbroglio
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Washington CNN —Every day, America gets dragged deeper into Donald Trump’s legal, political and constitutional morass. But at the end of a tempestuous day, his legal strategy was clearer than ever. In itself, it represents a profound political and legal test for American democracy and the rule of law – even if it is only one of Trump’s legal threats. In a normal election, Trump would be keen to turn his fire on his likely general election foe, Biden, by late March. But he will be forced to spend day after day in court in New York.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Fani Willis, Trump’s, Michael Roman, Willis, Nathan Wade, ” Darryl Cohen, CNN’s Erin Burnett, “, ” Cohen, Wade, Trump, Caroline Polisi, Robin Yeartie –, Willis –, ” Polisi, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, –, ” Willis, Judge Juan Merchan, Biden, he’s, Alvin Bragg’s, Todd Blanche, Merchan, ” Merchan, ” Blanche, he’ll, David Weiss, Hunter Biden’s, Alexander Smirnov, Harry Reid, Smirnov Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, Fulton, District, Republican, FBI, Burisma Holdings, Harry Reid International, GOP Locations: America, Georgia, Fulton Country , Georgia, Fulton County, York, Trump, United States, Manhattan, New York, Las Vegas

☆ A stunning indictment could doom Republican's effort to impeach Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Special counsel David Weiss blew through one of the key pieces of evidence House Republicans have held against Biden. AdvertisementA stunning indictment has undermined one of the key pieces of evidence some GOP lawmakers have cited in their impeachment push against President Joe Biden. Top House Republicans have cited the previously unknown informant's allegations for months as evidence for their views about the "Biden crime family." Some Republicans were already warning that their Biden impeachment push was going nowhere even before the latest setbacks. The outlet reported that roughly 20 Republicans were not convinced there was sufficient evidence to impeach Biden.

Persons: David Weiss, Weiss, Biden, Trump, —, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Obama, Alexander Smirnov, James Comer, Comer, Sen, Chuck Grassley, Hunter, Donald Trump's, Smirnov, George Santos, Mike Johnson, Alejandro Mayorkas, Mayorkas, Tom Suozzi, Santos, Ken Buck, Buck, Donald Trump, impeaching Biden, weaponizing Organizations: Republicans, Biden, FBI, Service, Prosecutors, Top, Iowa Republican, CNN, GOP, Homeland, Democratic, Colorado Republican, DOJ, DAs Locations: Ukrainian, Iowa, York, Colorado, South Carolina

☆ Sean Hannity and right-wing media claimed the ‘Biden crime family’ took millions in bribes. Their narrative just fell apart
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But MAGA Media personalities like Sean Hannity quickly shifted into hyperdrive last year when a supposedly “highly credible” FBI informant claimed to have smoking gun evidence of the conspiracy. The emergence of a confidential FBI informant coursed through right-wing media, where talking heads and outlets spotlighted the claims as damning evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Those actions were then celebrated in right-wing media. The charges dealt a blow to the narrative Fox News had championed on its air and Republicans had pressed in Congress. The stunning demise of the claim is just the latest in a larger pattern from Fox News and the broader right-wing media ecosystem in which it operates.

Persons: New York CNN — “, Biden, Joe Biden —, Hunter, MAGA, Sean Hannity, James Comer, Jim Jordan, Hannity, Comer, Alexander Smirnov, Harry Reid, David Weiss, Donald Trump, Smirnov, “, Joe Biden, Weiss, It’s Organizations: New York CNN, GOP, Fox News, incredulity, FBI, Media, Harry, Harry Reid International, Burisma, Fox, Republicans, “, MAGA Media Locations: New York, Ukrainian, hyperdrive, stoke, Las Vegas

☆ Navalny is the latest in a long line of Putin critics who met an early death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

CNN —When Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny returned to Russia in 2021, there were many who feared he would face an untimely end. The Kremlin has said it is investigating the critic’s death, the circumstances of which were not immediately clear. After his death, opposition leader Ilya Yashin said his friend had been working on a report about Russian troops and their involvement in Ukraine. Nemtsov’s death came two days before he was set to lead an opposition rally in the Russian capital. Alexander PerepilichnyyOver the years, suggestions have emerged of the possible use of a rare plant poison in the death of Russian financier Alexander Perepilichnyy.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Navalny, Yegveny Prigozhin Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Reuters Yevgeny Prigozhin, –, Bill Browder, “ Putin, ” Boris Nemtsov, Boris Nemtsov, Dmitry Korotayev, Boris Yeltsin, Ilya Yashin, Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin, Nemtsov’s, Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky, Yelena Gorbunova, Peter Macdiarmid, Boris Berezovsky, Putin, Berezovsky, Alexander Perepilichnyy, CNN Alexander Perepilichnyy, Perepilichnyy, Sergei Magnitsky, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Magnitsky, Browder, Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Litvinenko, Natasja Weitsz, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko –, Robert Owen, Putin “, Litvinenko, Marina Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, JENS SCHLUETER, Lom, Ali Gaitukayev, Politkovskaya, Chechen Republic …, ” Drownings, Prigozhin, Gennady Lopyrev –, “, Lopyrev, Pyotr Kucherenko, Pavel Antov, Vladimir Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Buzakov, Anatoly Gerashchenko, Ravil Maganov, Lukoil, Maganov “, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CNN, Putin’s United, “, Kremlin, PMC Wagner, Reuters, Republican Party of Russia, Party, Newsweek, Royal Botanic, Getty Images, Hermitage Capital, KGB, Getty, Authorities, The, Protect Journalists, RIA Novosti, Russia’s, Science, Higher Education, Gazprom, Lukoil, Moscow Aviation Institute, TASS Locations: Russia, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Putin’s United Russia, Ukraine, ” Boris Nemtsov Russian, Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, London's, England, Soviet Union, Britain, Surrey, London, Kew, American, Chechnya, Leipzig, Germany, AFP, The New York, Chechen Republic, Washington, Gelendzhik, ”, Cuba, India, United States

☆ Kim Jong Un has broken with decades of North Korean policy – does it mean he’s planning for war?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The two sides have been cut off from each other since 1953, when an armistice ended the Korean War, and remain technically at war. Yoon and Biden have sharpened their countries’ deterrence plans and coordination in the face of North Korea’s threats and weapons development. If anything, some analysts believe, North Korea’s public statements signal that North Korea is abandoning its reunification policy in pursuit of peace on the peninsula. Vladimir Smirnov/AFP/Getty ImagesAn ‘emboldened’ KimThe North Korean leader may also feel more confident about his arsenal and his options as he watches a shifting global landscape. “Kim Jong Un is wary of a full-scale provocation by the South Korean military disguised as a military exercise and has vowed to occupy South Korean territory without hesitation,” said Lim in Changwon.

Persons: Kim Jong, South Korea –, ” Kim, ”, Kim, ’, Robert Carlin, Siegfred Heckler, Chul Lim, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Edward Howell, Yoon Suk Yeol, Ayse, ” He’s, Yoon, Biden, Seoul . Kim, Trump, Lim, “ That’s, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Smirnov, ’ Kim, “ Kim Jong, …, Rachel Minyoung Lee, Howell, “ Kim Jong Un, Lee, Japan – Organizations: CNN, South, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, North Korea Research Center, University’s Institute, Far Eastern, University of Oxford, Japan, Ewha Womans University, US, North, Russia's Vostochny, Getty, Stimson, –, White, United Nations Security Council, West, South Korean Defense Ministry, ”, Trump, North Korean Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, North Korea, South Korea, Korea, Republic of Korea, Kim, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, United States, Korea’s, Changwon, Pyongyang, Russia, United Kingdom, Japan, Guam, Gon, Seoul ., Russian, Russia's, China, Iran, denuclearization, Western, North, Moscow, Beijing, Oxford, Jeju, South, “

WASHINGTON (AP) — An FBI informant has been charged with lying to authorities about a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company, a claim that is central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. Alexander Smirnov falsely reported in June 2020 that executives associated with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 or 2016, prosecutors said Thursday. Smirnov said a Burisma executive had claimed to have hired Hunter Biden to “protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems,” prosecutors said. The charges were filed by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, who has separately charged Hunter Biden with firearm and tax violations. Hunter Biden is expected to appear before the committee later this month for an interview.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Hunter Biden, Biden, Barack Obama, “, David Weiss, Hunter Biden's, James Comer, Comer, Republican Sen, Chuck Grassley, Donald Trump’s, Rudy Giuliani’s, Eric Tucker, Lisa Mascaro, Ken Ritter Organizations: WASHINGTON, FBI, Republican, Prosecutors, Burisma, Public, Russian, Justice, Iowa, Trump, Associated Press Locations: Ukrainian, Las Vegas, Ky, Washington

☆ Former FBI informant charged with lying about the Bidens’ role in Ukraine business
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | Evan Perez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Special counsel David Weiss charged a former FBI informant with lying about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s involvement in business dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings. Alexander Smirnov, 43, is facing charges in connection with lying to the FBI and creating false records. CNN is working to determine whether Smirnov has an attorney. Smirnov’s charge undercuts a major aspect of Republicans’ claims that Joe Biden was financially benefiting from his son’s business dealings in Ukraine. According to court records, Smirnov told an FBI agent that he had spoken with the owner of Burisma about the company’s efforts to buy a company in the United States.

Persons: David Weiss, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden’s, Alexander Smirnov, Harry Reid, Smirnov, ’, ”, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s, ” Smirnov, Joe, Hunter, Obama, General Organizations: CNN, FBI, Burisma Holdings, Harry Reid International, “, Defendant, Burisma, Biden Administration, Ukrainian Locations: Las Vegas, Ukraine, United States, Ukrainian, Burisma

U.S. President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden disembark from Air Force One at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, U.S., February 4, 2023. WASHINGTON — An FBI confidential human source has been indicted on two counts of allegedly feeding the bureau false information about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign. Alexander Smirnov, 43, who disliked President Joe Biden, was arrested in Las Vegas after returning from a trip overseas, according to the Justice Department. The case grew out of the special counsel investigation being led by David Weiss, who is also leading the case against Hunter Biden. Smirnov allegedly told the FBI — again, falsely — that Burisma officials had told him they paid Hunter Biden and Joe Biden $5 million and that it would take investigators 10 years to find the illicit payments to Joe Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, WASHINGTON —, Alexander Smirnov, David Weiss, Weiss, Donald Trump, Smirnov, FBI —, Defendant, Obama, General Organizations: Air Force, Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Justice Department, FBI, Burisma, Defendant, Biden Administration, Ukrainian, Russian, NBC News Locations: Syracuse , New York, U.S, WASHINGTON, Las Vegas, Delaware, Ukrainian

☆ Ex-F.B.I. Informant Is Charged With Lying Over Bidens’ Role in Ukraine Business
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Glenn Thrush | More About Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The special counsel investigating Hunter Biden has charged a former F.B.I. informant with fabricating claims that President Biden and his son sought two $5 million bribes from a Ukrainian energy company, according to an indictment in a California federal court. The former informant, Alexander Smirnov, 43, was accused of falsely telling the F.B.I. The story Mr. Smirnov told investigators was part of a series of explosive and unsubstantiated claims by Republicans that the Bidens engaged in potentially criminal activity — allegations central to the party’s efforts to impeach the president. record that included the false allegation without naming Mr. Smirnov, or questioning its veracity.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Biden, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Charles E, Grassley Organizations: Republican Locations: Ukrainian, California, Iowa

☆ North Korea says it will not negotiate sovereignty with 'double-faced' US
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, arrives at the Vostochny Сosmodrome before a meeting of Russia's President Vladimir Putin with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023. Sputnik/Vladimir Smirnov/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 30 (Reuters) - North Korea said it will never negotiate its sovereignty with the United States, criticising Washington as "double-faced" for offering talks while ramping up military activities in the region, state media KCNA reported on Thursday. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and North Korean Ambassador Kim Song, both arguing that their countries' military activities are defensive. Kim Yo Jong said Thomas-Greenfield highlighted efforts to reopen talks with North Korea even as she lacked "justifiable ground" for denying its sovereign right to space development. The U.S. and South Korea have condemned the satellite launch as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning North Korea's use of any ballistic technology.

Persons: Kim Yo Jong, North, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Smirnov, Washington, Linda Thomas, Kim Song, Thomas, Greenfield, Kim, KCNA, Carl Vinson, Yoon Suk, Hyonhee Shin, Ed Osmond, Josie Kao Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, . Security, North Korean, North, U.S, DPRK, Democratic People's, Kadena, White House, Pentagon, South, Falcon, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, United States, U.S, Greenfield, South Korea, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, San Diego, Japan, Pyongyang, Korean, Guam, Italy, Seoul, Washington

☆ As the West courts Russia's neighbors, Putin shows he won't give up its backyard without a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Eurasian Economic Summit on Nov. 9, 2022, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a joint news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Feb. 10, 2022. "Central Asia obviously has to keep a fine balance and tread that line," Hess said. Analysts note that while an economically isolated Russia wants and needs to keep Central Asia on side, it is gradually losing its grip on the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for a working breakfast of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Keen, Emmanuel Macron, Putin, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Lavrov, —, it's, Max Hess, Hess, Kassym, Mikhail Klimentyev, Xi Jinping, Florence Lo, they've, Temur Umarov, Tokayev, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Vladimir Smirnov Organizations: Economic, Getty, Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Russian, Central Asia —, Central Asian, Kazakh, CIS, West, Georgia, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, Kremlin, Reuters Central, Central, Central Asia Summit, Afp, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Commonwealth of Independent, Sputnik Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, Moscow, Russian, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakh, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China, Soviet, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Baltic States, Soviet Union, Moldova, Ukraine, U.S, Afghanistan, Asia, Xian, Shaanxi

☆ U.S. says North Korea delivered 1,000 containers of equipment and munitions to Russia for Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Vladimir Smirnov | Afp | Getty ImagesThe White House said on Friday that North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia for its ongoing war in Ukraine. The containers were shipped between Sept. 7 and Oct. 1 between Najin, North Korea, and Dunay, Russia, according to the White House. It threatened to respond in line with its escalatory nuclear doctrine that authorizes the preemptive use of nuclear weapons. The U.S. has accused North Korea of previously providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia. After decades of hot-and-cold relations, Russia and North Korea have drawn closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Vladimir Smirnov, Kim Jong Un, John Kirby, Kim, Kirby, Putin Organizations: North, Vostochny, Afp, Getty, White, National Security, Democratic People's, Korean Central News Agency, The, Strategic, International Studies Locations: Amur, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, North Korean, Russian, Najin, North Korea, Dunay, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Pyongyang, U.S, South Korea, Moscow, Washington, United States

☆ New missiles could help Ukraine's future F-16 fighters to take on Russian jets, but the planes will likely be more useful for other missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The Pentagon plans to send highly capable air-to-air missiles that the jets can carry. A US Air Force aircraft fuels craftsman marshals a US F-16 at Rovaniemi Air Base in Finland during Astral Knight 23 Part 6 on August 23, 2023. These capabilities, coupled with its physical design, make the F-16 a formidable opponent for Russian fighter jets like the MiG-31 and Su-35, experts and former pilots say. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 85th Test Evaluation Squadron flies a test mission March 19, 2019 near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Snodgrass said these missiles are "fairly comparable" to Russian air-to-air missiles like the R-27 and R-77.

Persons: Albert Morel Additionally, John Baum, Baum, it's, Guy Snodgrass, Russia's Su, Joshua Hoskins, Snodgrass, Biden, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Doug Birkey, Evgeniy, we've, Tannehill, ABIS Kayla Hayes, Moscow's, Perry Aston Organizations: Pentagon, Aviation, Service, AIM, US Air Force, Rovaniemi Air Base, Astral, Russian, Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Air Missiles, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Washington, Air Missile, US Navy, Getty, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, AP, Kyiv, Avionics, 3C Orion, Marine Corps Base, Australian Defense Force, NATO, Army Tactical Missile, Storm, Alabama National, 187th Fighter Wing, Joint Base, Sweden, Gripen Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Finland, Fla, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Crimean, Md, Stockholm

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