Federal law enforcement personnel rearrested the FBI source behind claims that a Ukrainian energy company bribed Hunter and Joe Biden days after a judge ordered him to be released, according to a court filing.
Alexander Smirnov — the FBI source who told agents that Burisma executives discussed paying Hunter Biden and Joe Biden $5 million each to leverage U.S. policy in Ukraine to the company’s benefit — was arrested again Thursday pursuant to the same charges and same indictment that resulted in his arrest on Feb. 14, according to a legal filing. Smirnov was apparently at his attorney’s office in Las Vegas engaging in a legal consultation when authorities nabbed him again on Thursday. (RELATED: Biden DOJ’s Indictment Of Burisma Bribery Source Raises More Questions Than Answers)
Smirnov Rearrest Filing by Nick Pope on Scribd
“Mr. Smirnov’s research into available remedies (including a petition for a writ of habeas corpus) are ongoing,” the filing states. “At present, however, Mr. Smirnov respectfully requests that this Honorable Court set his second initial appearance ‘without unnecessary delay’ which, under these bizarre circumstances, mean: forthwith, and order his release. Alternatively, Mr. Smirnov requests an emergency hearing before the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.”
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 31: Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, leaves the O’Neill House Office Building after testifying to the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill on July 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The government attempted to secure pretrial detention for Smirnov following his first arrest because it deems him to be a flight risk, but a federal judge ordered that he could be released on certain conditions, according to legal filings. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged in its Feb. 14 indictment against Smirnov that he lied to the FBI when he described Burisma executives paying off Joe and Hunter Biden, and a subsequent filing arguing for his pretrial detention detailed Smirnov’s contacts with individuals connected to Russian intelligence.
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 11: (L-R) Granddaughter Naomi Biden, U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden exit Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House October 11, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“Mr. Smirnov was rearrested on an arrest warrant issued from the same Court where he was planning on voluntarily appearing when required. He had previously been released by a federal Magistrate Judge after a full and complete hearing where both sides were heard. He was inside our law office at the time of his arrest, preparing his defense,” his counsel said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We are pursuing lawful remedies to once again seek his release.”
US President Joe Biden (L) waves alongside his son Hunter Biden after attending mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Johns Island, South Carolina, on August 13, 2022. (Photo by Nicholas Kamm / AFP) (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
The DOJ did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.