Ex-FBI source accused of lying about Bidens and having Russian contacts is returned to US custody

23 Feb 2024 • 6:29 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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A former FBI informant accused of lying about multimillion-dollar bribery allegations against President Joe Biden and his son Hunter and purportedly having links to Russian intelligence was again taken into custody Thursday, two days after a judge said he could be freed ahead of trial, his attorneys said in court documents.

The arrest during a meeting Thursday morning with his lawyers comes after prosecutors appealed a ruling allowing 43-year-old Alexander Smirnov, who holds dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, to be released with a GPS monitor ahead of trial on charges alleging he lied to the FBI.

A spokesman for Justice Department Special Counsel David Weiss confirmed Smirnov had been arrested again.