Democrats have been crowing that the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden should be closed following the indictment of former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov by the Department of Justice on charges of lying about the president's alleged business dealings with a Ukrainian energy company.
But Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., who is leading the impeachment inquiry, told Newsmax on Thursday that Smirnov was a small piece of the larger investigation into alleged influence peddling and criminal activity by Biden and members of his family.
"He's a micropiece" of the whole puzzle, Comer told "Rob Schmitt Tonight," adding the bank records he obtained during the investigation tell the whole story, and bank records "don't lie."
Biden's DOJ alleged Smirnov lied on an FBI FD-1023 form that claimed the president and his son Hunter Biden each received $5 million from Burisma Holdings Ltd., on whose board Hunter Biden served, to get Ukraine to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating the company. Shokin ultimately was fired.
"You investigate every lead you get," said Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. "We got a tip from [Sen.] Chuck Grassley that there was a form the FBI had that they had never investigated that alleged Joe Biden took a bribe. What was interesting to me when I read the 1023 [form] was the fact that even years before [Hunter Biden's] laptop was ever discovered, the FBI form referred to Joe Biden as the 'big guy.' And it said that the alleged bribe went through various bank accounts, and it would have taken 10 years for investigators to find out.
"That was consistent with what I already found out with bank records, which are the basis of our investigation. Our evidence revolves around bank records that I subpoenaed and have in hand that show the Bidens took millions and millions of dollars from our enemies around the world. This tip from Grassley was consistent with that."
Comer said Smirnov's allegations were not going to be in the final impeachment inquiry report because he didn't know the source's identity. He said all he knew is what FBI Director Chistopher Wray told him, Grassley, and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio — and what his committee learned in an FBI briefing: that the informant was one of their highest-paid, most trusted in the entire bureau.
"This is a credible investigation that's based on bank records," Comer said. "The fact that the FBI arrested the informant who they told us was one of their highest-paid, most credible, that had been on the payroll with the FBI for over a decade doesn't change the fact that the Bidens took millions and millions of dollars from China while Joe Biden was vice president. They did the same thing in Romania while Joe Biden was vice president.
"Thank God I don't need the FBI in this investigation. They've obstructed the heck out of this investigation. But we have followed the bank records. Bank records don't lie. The Biden family has influenced with our enemies around the world to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, and I think every American will have a problem with that when they see the final report."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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