House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has expressed concerns about a perceived double standard within the Justice Department’s Biden family investigation. In an interview, Jordan highlighted the contrasting treatment of ex-informants Christopher Steele and Alexander Smirnov.
Jordan pointed out that Steele, who provided false information about President Trump to the FBI, continues to receive payment. On the other hand, Smirnov, who allegedly provided false information about the Bidens, has been indicted. Jordan questioned the consistency of these standards, suggesting that they do not align.
As the head of the House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment investigation into President Joe Biden, Jordan has played a leading role in probing Biden’s supposed participation in his son Hunter’s overseas business activities. Although these inquiries have yet to yield definitive proof of misconduct by Biden, Jordan and other conservative members of the House continue to be dedicated to advancing the investigation.
Jordan’s comments come in the wake of Alexander Smirnov’s recent charges. Smirnov, an FBI informant, is accused of falsely claiming that President Biden and his son Hunter accepted a bribe. He faces charges of manufacturing false records and making false statements about the Bidens’ Ukraine business dealings. The Department of Justice argues that Smirnov should remain in custody due to his alleged ties to Russian intelligence agencies.
Smirnov played a crucial role as a “confidential human source” in House Republicans’ inquiries into the Bidens, claiming that executives at Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid the Bidens $5 million each in exchange for favors from Joe Biden during his tenure as vice president.
In the conversation with Maria Bartiromo, Jordan discussed the issues Hunter Biden’s legal team brought up about the potential impact of Smirnov’s statements on the Department of Justice’s investigation into alleged tax fraud, led by Special Counsel David Weiss. Jordan expressed his opinion that Weiss had not looked into the confidential informant until after his appointment as special counsel, even though the investigation had been active for several years.
Legal experts have weighed in on the impact of the Smirnov allegations on the Biden investigations. Lawyer Tristen Snell has called for the DOJ to subpoena all communications between Jordan, Chuck Grassley, James Comer, and Smirnov, suggesting that they were either deceived by Smirnov and the Kremlin or were complicit in the alleged wrongdoing. Former federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance has observed that the impeachment probe has experienced delays since Smirnov’s indictment.
The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear testimony from James Biden, the president’s brother, behind closed doors. The details of the interview are unlikely to be made public. This development follows testimonies from several business associates.
