House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan on Wednesday voiced concerns about a double standard after an ex-informant in the Justice Department's probe into the Biden family was accused of lying.
"With Christopher Steele, who gives false information about President Trump to the FBI, he continues to get paid. With this [Alexander] Smirnov guy, he gives false information to the FBI about the Bidens and he gets indicted. Doesn't seem to me to be the same standard," Jordan said on Fox Business Network's Mornings With Maria Bartiromo.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice for comment via its online form.
The Context
Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, has led the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Biden has faced several House investigations, including probes related to whether he benefitted from his son Hunter's foreign business dealings. While the investigation has not yielded definitive evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Biden and has faced criticism from some Republicans, Jordan and other House conservatives have vowed to move forward with the probe.
What We Know
Jordan's comments come after Alexander Smirnov, the FBI informant, was charged last week for allegedly falsely saying the president and his son, Hunter Biden, accepted a bribe. He was specifically charged with making false statements and manufacturing false records concerning the Bidens' business dealings in Ukraine, and the DOJ has argued he should remain in custody due to his alleged ties with Russian intelligence agencies.
As a "confidential human source" in June 2020, Smirnov claimed executives at Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid the Bidens "$5 million each" in exchange for favors from Joe Biden during his term as vice president. His claim was crucial evidence in House Republicans' inquiries into the now-president.
During the interview on Mornings With Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday morning, host Bartiromo asked Jordan about Smirnov.
In addition to addressing what he views as a double standard, Jordan also responded to attorneys for Hunter Biden raising concerns about whether Smirnov's testimony may have influenced the DOJ probe into alleged tax fraud.
This probe is being led by Special Counsel David Weiss.
"I don't believe that David Weiss had even approached the FBI and looked at this issue with this confidential human source. I'm not sure he had done that until he was named special counsel. They've had this investigation going for four and a half, five years, so we'll have to see how this all shakes out," he said.
Views
Experts have weighed in on how the Smirnov allegations may affect the Biden investigations.
Lawyer Tristen Snell wrote in a post to X (formerly Twitter): "Jim Jordan, Chuck Grassley, and James Comer were either duped by Smirnov and the Kremlin — or they were in on it. Either way, DOJ must subpoena every single communication Jordan, Grassley, and Comer had with or about Smirnov and anything related."
Former federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance noted on X that the impeachment probe has been "lagging" since Smirnov's indictment.
What's Next
On Wednesday, the judiciary committee is expected to hear testimony from James Biden, the brother of President Biden. The questioning will be behind closed doors, meaning it is unlikely to be made public at this point. The interview comes after several business associates have testified.
Update 2/21/24, 8:58 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and to note that Newsweek reached out to the DOJ for comment.
Update 2/21/24, 9:34 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
