Hunter Biden Claims Smirnov Collapsed DOJ Plea Deal

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Facts

  • Hunter Biden's team submitted a court filing Tuesday criticizing Special Counsel David Weiss for confusing images of sawdust for cocaine, while also alleging that the 'ridiculous claims' of former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov collapsed a plea deal between Hunter and the DOJ.1
  • Hunter Biden's comments come within a nine-count federal indictment overseen by Special Counsel Weiss, where the son of Pres. Joe Biden is accused of avoiding paying $1.4M of owed federal taxes between 2016 and 2019.2
  • He also faces three charges within a separate federal indictment overseen by Weiss, accusing Biden of illegally acquiring a firearm, providing false statements during its acquisition, and possessing a firearm while being 'an unlawful user and addicted to' prohibited substances.3
  • Within the document, submitted in support of a motion to compel discovery, Hunter Biden's team compares 'mistaking sawdust to cocaine' to a 'storyline from one of the 1980s Police Academy comedies,' describing the 'hyperbolic and sensational claim' as 'reckless.'1
  • It further alleged that 'farcical tale[s]' of former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov had 'infected' Special Counsel Weiss' decision-making when 'abandon[ing]' his plea deal agreements with Hunter concerning both indictments, as well as informing the probe by the House GOP.1
  • Last week, the DOJ charged Smirnov with inventing a bribery scheme involving the President and his son, accusing the defendant of falsely claiming to the FBI in 2020 that Ukrainian energy company Bursima had paid the two Bidens a total of $10M around 2015-16.4

Sources: 1Documentcloud (a), 2United States Department of Justice, 3Documentcloud (b) and 4Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by MSNBC. The news of Smirnov's indictment is a further damning blow to Congressional Republicans, who continue to lead a witch hunt against the Biden family. It's ironically only because of the incessant nature of the GOP's reckless attack on Joe and Hunter Biden that Smirnov has been charged. The reality of Smirnov's lies is yet another shadow upon an embarrassing year for a desperate Republican Party.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Federalist. Hunter Biden's team is using an unintentional mistake and the lies of a previously trusted informant to undermine America's legal system. Yet reality remains the same: Hunter Biden was ready to admit guilt when offered a plea deal concerning his tax evasion, and his laptop contains a plethora of damning evidence of drug use while possessing a firearm. These events by no means prove any innocence, and accusations of corruption within the Biden family remain substantial.

Predictions