No evidence emerged that the allegations against the Bidens were true, but the story was taken up by some Republicans, who made the unverified claims part of their effort to impeach President

Alexander Smirnov falsely claimed to his FBI handler that executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Biden and his son $5 million each around 2015.

Alexander Smirnov may not be a household name, but his prison sentence represents a stunning fiasco for some prominent Republicans in Congress.

Alexander Smirnov, a dual U.S. and Israeli citizen, pleaded guilty in a Los Angeles federal court to charges of tax evasion and lying to the FBI.

The former FBI informant who fabricated claims about President Biden and his son Hunter Biden accepting bribes was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison, according to court documents. Alexander Smirnov,

Alexander Smirnov pleaded guilty last month of causing creation of a false record after falsely telling his FBI handler that he had knowledge of bribes paid by executives at Burisma Holdings to the Bidens,