For almost a year, Jim Jordan, James Comer, and top House Republicans touted Alexander Smirnov as a “highly credible” star witness, making his criminal lies the cornerstone of their baseless impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Now, after he was not only indicted for lying about accusations against President Biden and his son, but also exposed for meeting with and being fed information by Russian intelligence officials, MAGA House Republicans are scrambling to sweep it all under the rug.
MAGA Republicans are desperate to hide the fact that they have been pushing a Russian disinformation campaign to smear the Biden family and help Putin-apologist Donald Trump. This evidence-free impeachment inquiry is nothing but a political stunt based on a criminal lie from someone “motivated by his animosity towards the President,” spearheaded by Trump and his MAGA cronies. Trump has instructed Jordan and MAGA House Republicans to tarnish President Biden, his family, and his administration heading into the 2024 election. MAGA Republicans have nothing but the wrong priorities, following Trump and his Russian interests, while blatantly ignoring the important priorities of Americans across the country.
THEN: Republicans Centered Smirnov’s Allegations As The Cornerstone of Their Baseless Impeachment Inquiry.
- Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) called Smirnov’s criminal lies, documented in the FBI form FD-1023, the “heart” of the House GOP’s baseless impeachment inquiry. He also heaped praise on Smirnov, calling him a “highly credible confidential human source,” the “most corroborating evidence we have,” “competent,” “very credible,” “more credible” than whistleblower Christopher Steele, a “credible source,” a “respected, trusted, credible source,” and, “one of [the FBI’s] good sources.”
- Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) spent nearly a year touted Smirnov as a supposedly credible star witness in his baseless impeachment investigation into President Biden, praising him on dozens of occasions as one of the FBI’s “most respected,” “most effective,” “most credible,” “most trusted, highest paid,” informants.
- House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) called Smirnov “highly credible,” and hyped Smirnov’s criminal lies as, “the biggest political corruption scandal, not only in my lifetime, but i would say the past 100 years.”
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) called Smirnov “extremely credible,” and “the FBI’s most trusted informant.”
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) said Smirnov’s allegations, documented in the FBI form FD-1023, were “proof” of President Biden’s corruption, and said the form showed that he was “100% guilty” of bribery after viewing the document at the Capitol.
- Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) boosted Smirnov’s allegations, saying the FBI form FD-1023 showed “Joe Biden caught on tape getting bribed.”
- Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) called the informant “highly credible,” despite suggesting he “might be doing other things, not just with the Bidens.”
- Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) hyped Smirnov’s allegations as “damning evidence,” and called the FBI form FD-1023 “direct evidence of naked corruption and bribery.”
- Rep. Timothy Burchett (R-TN) called Smirnov a “trusted FBI informant,” and referred to his allegations in the FBI form FD-1023 as “overwhelming evidence.”
- Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) hyped Smirnov’s allegations in the FBI form FD-1023, saying on Fox News, “You just have to read the FBI’s FD-1023 form of the interview with the president of Burisma to see that Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden were bribing or requiring from, really extorting Burisma…”
- BONUS: Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) even called Smirnov a “trusted FBI informant.”
NOW: House Republicans Are Suddenly Downplaying Smirnov Following His Indictment, Even Removing Him From An Impeachment Interview Request Letter.
- Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) said Smirnov’s indictment and deep ties to Russian intelligence “doesn’t change the fundamental facts,” and would not impact the impeachment inquiry “at all,” further declaring, “it is what it is.”
- Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) reneged on his past comments praising the FBI form FD-1023, stating, “the impeachment inquiry is not reliant on the FBI’s FD-1023” in the wake of Smirnov’s indictment.
- Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) has downplayed Smirnov as “ancillary” to the baseless impeachment probe.
- Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) insisted “we have lots of evidence,” downplaying Smirnov’s indictment and deep ties to Russian intelligence.
- Despite centering Smirnov’s allegations in their baseless impeachment inquiry, Republicans are trying to quietly pivot away from his allegations, deleting a reference to Smirnov’s criminal lies in a letter sent to a potential impeachment witness. As HuffPost reported, “Republicans appear to be striking any mention of it from their impeachment correspondence.”