President Biden said Friday the House GOP’s impeachment inquiry into his conduct should be dropped after the confidential source at the center of bribery allegations was arrested and charged with making false statements to the FBI.
“He is lying, and it should be dropped, and it’s just been an outrageous effort from the beginning,” Biden told reporters when asked about the charges.
GOP lawmakers pushing for Biden’s impeachment have frequently pointed to conversations the confidential source, Alexander Smirnov, had with the FBI relaying that the head of Ukrainian energy company Burisma told him he had paid the president and his son Hunter Biden $5 million.
The indictment alleges Smirnov made up the allegations given his opposition to President Biden’s candidacy.
“As alleged in the indictment, the events that Smirnov first reported to the FBI Agent in June 2020 were fabrications,” the Justice Department wrote in a press release announcing the grand jury indictment.
The charges were brought by special counsel David Weiss, a Trump appointee who has brought tax changes against Hunter Biden — who once served on Burisma’s board.
The indictment threatens to undercut the House GOP effort to paint Biden as corrupt and pursue potential articles of his impeachment. Biden has long maintained he did nothing wrong and has not been involved in his son’s business.