F.B.I. Informant Charged with Lying About Bidens’ Ukraine Business Role The special counsel investigating Hunter Biden has charged an ex-F.B.I. informant, Alexander Smirnov, with making false claims about President Biden and his son seeking bribes from a Ukrainian company. The allegations, which supported Republican efforts to impeach the president, turned out to be lies. Smirnov faces charges of making false statements and obstructing the investigation. The indictment reveals his political bias against Biden. The informant's claims were discredited by the F.B.I., and he now faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison if convicted. Hunter Biden's lawyer called the indictment proof of a politically motivated smear campaign.