In this courtroom sketch, defendant Alexander Smirnov speaks in Federal court in Los Angeles, Feb. 26, 2024.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A former FBI informant is set to plead guilty on Monday to lying about a phony bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter that became central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress.
Alexander Smirnov is expected to make the plea in Los Angeles to a felony charge in connection with the bogus story, along with a tax evasion charge stemming from a separate indictment accusing him of concealing millions of dollars of income, according to court papers.
kAm$>:C?@G 92D 366? 369:?5 32CD D:?46 9:D 2CC6DE :? u63CF2CJ @? 492C86D E92E 96 E@=5 9:D uqx 92?5=6C E92E 6I64FE:G6D 7C@> E96 &<C2:?:2? 6?6C8J 4@>A2?J qFC:D>2 925 A2:5 !C6D:56?E q:56? 2?5 wF?E6C q:56? Sd >:==:@? 6249 2C@F?5 a_'d]k^Am kAm!C@D64FE@CD 2?5 E96 5676?D6 92G6 28C665 E@ C64@>>6?5 2 D6?E6?46 @7 36EH66? 7@FC 2?5 D:I J62CD :? AC:D@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 A=62 28C66>6?E]k^AmkAm$>:C?@G 925 366? 2? :?7@C>2?E 7@C >@C6 E92? 2 564256 H96? 96 >256 E96 6IA=@D:G6 2==682E:@?D 23@FE E96 q:56?D :? yF?6 a_a_[ 27E6C "6IAC6DD:?8 3:2D" 23@FE y@6 q:56? 2D 2 AC6D:56?E:2= 42?5:52E6[ AC@D64FE@CD D2:5]k^AmkAmqFE $>:C?@G 925 @?=J C@FE:?6 3FD:?6DD 562=:?8D H:E9 qFC:D>2 DE2CE:?8 :? a_'f[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 4@FCE 5@4F>6?ED] p? uqx 7:6=5 @77:46 :?G6DE:82E65 E96 2==682E:@?D 2?5 C64@>>6?565 E96 42D6 36 4=@D65 :? pF8FDE a_a_[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 492C8:?8 5@4F>6?ED]k^Am kAm}@ 6G:56?46 92D 6>6C865 E92E y@6 q:56? 24E65 4@CCFAE=J @C 2446AE65 3C:36D :? 9:D 4FCC6?E C@=6 @C AC6G:@FD @77:46 2D G:46 AC6D:56?E]k^AmkAm(9:=6 9:D :56?E:EJ H2D?'E AF3=:4=J <?@H? 367@C6 E96 :?5:4E>6?E[ $>:C?@G'D 4=2:>D A=2J65 2 >2;@C A2CE :? E96 #6AF3=:42? 677@CE :? r@?8C6DD E@ :?G6DE:82E6 E96 AC6D:56?E 2?5 9:D 72>:=J[ 2?5 96=A65 DA2C< 2 w@FD6 :>A6249>6?E :?BF:CJ :?E@ q:56?] q67@C6 $>:C?@GVD 2CC6DE[ #6AF3=:42?D 925 56>2?565 E96 uqx C6=62D6 E96 F?C6524E65 7@C> 5@4F>6?E:?8 E96 F?G6C:7:65 2==682E:@?D[ E9@F89 E96J 24<?@H=65865 E96J 4@F=5?'E 4@?7:C> :7 E96J H6C6 ECF6]k^AmkAmsFC:?8 2 $6AE6>36C a_ab 4@?G6CD2E:@? H:E9 :?G6DE:82E@CD[ $>:C?@G 2=D@ 4=2:>65 E96 #FDD:2?D =:<6=J 925 C64@C5:?8D @7 wF?E6C q:56? 3642FD6 2 9@E6= :? &<C2:?6'D 42A:E2= H96C6 96 925 DE2J65 H2D "H:C65" 2?5 F?56C E96:C 4@?EC@= -- :?7@C>2E:@? 96 D2:5 H2D A2DD65 2=@?8 E@ 9:> 3J 7@FC 9:89\=6G6= #FDD:2? @77:4:2=D]k^AmkAmqFE wF?E6C q:56? 925 ?6G6C EC2G6=65 E@ &<C2:?6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ $>:C?@GVD :?5:4E>6?E]k^AmkAm$>:C?@G 4=2:>65 E@ 92G6 4@?E24ED H:E9 #FDD:2? :?E6==:86?46\277:=:2E65 @77:4:2=D[ 2?5 E@=5 2FE9@C:E:6D 27E6C 9:D 2CC6DE 62C=:6C E9:D J62C E92E "@77:4:2=D 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 #FDD:2? :?E6==:86?46 H6C6 :?G@=G65 :? A2DD:?8 2 DE@CJ" 23@FE wF?E6C q:56?]k^AmkAm%96 42D6 282:?DE $>:C?@G H2D 3C@F89E 3J DA64:2= 4@F?D6= s2G:5 (6:DD[ H9@ 2=D@ AC@D64FE65 wF?E6C q:56? @? 8F? 2?5 E2I 492C86D] wF?E6C q:56? H2D DFAA@D65 E@ 36 D6?E6?465 E9:D >@?E9 27E6C 36:?8 4@?G:4E65 2E EC:2= :? E96 8F? 42D6 2?5 A=625:?8 8F:=EJ E@ 7656C2= 492C86D :? E96 E2I 42D6] qFE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^3:56?\D@?\9F?E6C\492C86D\A2C5@?\A=6586\ac7b__f4a5a7cef72cg6a'334faeadadQm96 H2D A2C5@?65k^2m 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 3J 9:D 72E96C[ H9@ D2:5 96 36=:6G65 "C2H A@=:E:4D 92D :?764E65 E9:D AC@46DD 2?5 :E =65 E@ 2 >:D42CC:286 @7 ;FDE:46]"k^Am