Whistleblower accused of lying in Biden Ukrainian bribery case pleads guilty

Alexander Smirnov, accused of lying to the FBI in the case of irregular payments to the Biden family from overseas, pleaded guilty Thursday.

Smirnov told the FBI about a $10 million bribe that a Ukrainian businessman paid then-Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter to "protect" his company from an impending corruption investigation.

Alexander Smirnov, 43, struck a plea deal with special prosecutor David Weiss and confessed to creating "a false and fictitious record" as part of a federal investigation into the Biden's.

Smirnov was arrested in Nevada and charged with spreading lies that "could affect the U.S. election" related to the Biden family's overseas activity.

The false statements for which Smirnov was convicted were recorded on an FBI Form FD-1023 in 2020 and later disclosed by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley.

They include details about Hunter Biden and role on the board of directors of Ukrainian gas company Burisma. Smirnov's statements were used by Republicans as part of the impeachment investigation against the Democratic president.

Smirnov faces up to six years in prison, along with a fine of $675,000 in restitution, according to the agreement filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.