Key Figure in Biden Impeachment Effort Colluded with Russian Intelligence

Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin calls on House Republicans to formally end their impeachment inquiry into President Biden after their primary informant was arrested for making false statements to the FBI and colluding with Russian intelligence.

Raskin made his comments during an MSNBC interview after the host asked, “Is there any rationale—any justification—for House Republicans to continue their impeachment inquiry after the developments of this week? Is this now dead?”

“It’s time to fold up the circus,” Raskin replied. “And, of course, it’s all not just based on this explosive finding, but on a whole series of similar findings.”

Raskin proceeded to list a series of previously-disclosed but underreported developments that undermined the claims made by the now disgraced informant, Alexander Smirnov.

Smirnov, once a credible confidential human source for the FBI, made false statements to the bureau about Joe and Hunter Biden, claiming that members of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company which employed Hunter, had bribed the two Bidens with $5 million each in exchange for then-Vice President Joe Biden to influence foreign policy in a way which would protect Burisma from legal accountability.

The allegations were a keystone element of Republican efforts to impugn Joe Biden in both the Senate and House, regurgitated by the likes of Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Jim Jordan.

Smirnov was arrested by the FBI last week and indicted by Special Counsel David Weiss, who has also prosecuted Hunter Biden for tax crimes. 

Additional documents released today reveal that Smirnov, who had a political grudge against Biden, admitted that “officials associated with Russian intelligence” were involved with the allegations Smirnov made against the Bidens.

As Democrats, including Eric Swalwell, have pointed out: this means House Republicans have—unwittingly or otherwise—effectively served as stooges for Russia.