Senators demand FBI agents testify about 'highly credible' source who allegedly made up Biden bribery scheme

EXCLUSIVE: Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson are demanding nan FBI make Alexander Smirnov’s handling supplier and his superiors disposable for interviews arsenic they analyse what steps nan bureau and nan Justice Department took to analyse nan now-infamous FD-1023 shape alleging a criminal bribery strategy involving Joe Biden and Ukraine. 

Fox News Digital obtained a letter Grassley, R-Iowa, and Johnson, R-Wis., sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Special Counsel David Weiss precocious Tuesday. 

"Since October 13, 2022, Congress has requested from nan Justice Department and FBI accusation and records relating to nan FD-1023 to amended understand what steps, if any, nan Justice Department took to analyse nan document," Grassley and Johnson wrote.

Sens. Chuck Grassley, Ron Johnson and much are demanding answers from nan FBI, DOJ.  (AP/Getty Images)

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Grassley was approached by a whistleblower successful 2022 who alleged nan FBI was successful possession of a archive — nan FD-1023 — which dated backmost to 2020 and elaborate a bribery strategy betwixt Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and nan apical executive of Ukrainian earthy state patient Burisma Holdings.

An FD-1023 shape is utilized by FBI agents to grounds unverified reporting from confidential quality sources. The shape is utilized to archive accusation arsenic told to an FBI agent, but signaling that accusation does not validate aliases measurement it against different accusation known by nan FBI. 

The FD-1023 specifications claims from FBI confidential quality root Alexander Smirnov who told nan FBI successful June 2020 astir meetings he had pinch Burisma executives years prior, wherever they supposedly admitted that they hired Hunter Biden to beryllium connected nan committee of nan institution to "protect us, done his dad, from each kinds of problems." 

Hunter Biden sat connected nan committee of Burisma while his begetter was vice president. 

The FD-1023 archive includes Smirnov’s claims that Burisma executives paid $5 cardinal to Joe Biden and $5 cardinal to Hunter Biden, while Joe Biden was still successful agency arsenic vice president. Smirnov besides claims that nan Bidens were paid truthful that Joe Biden could thief to quash criminal investigation into Burisma being conducted by then-Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin. 

Joe and boy Hunter Biden taking a walk. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Shokin was yet fired, which Joe Biden had publically boasted about. Biden and friends person said that nan firing of Shokin was successful an effort to guidelines retired corruption successful Ukraine. Joe Biden, astatine nan time, ran U.S.-Ukraine policy. 

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Smirnov has since been indicted connected charges of making mendacious statements and creating a mendacious and fictitious grounds relating to nan Biden’s business ties successful Ukraine. The charges stem from Special Counsel David Weiss’ investigation. Smirnov has pleaded not blameworthy and is expected to guidelines proceedings later this month. 

"The national indictment of Smirnov leaves galore questions unanswered, including really nan Justice Department and FBI could usage this Confidential Human Source for astir 14 years, salary him hundreds of thousands of dollars, usage his accusation successful investigations and prosecutions, and past yet find he’s a liar," Grassley and Johnson wrote. 

Grassley and Johnson besides pointed retired that nan FBI "refused to corroborate moreover nan beingness of nan FD-1023" until May 2023, erstwhile Grassley and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer notified Wray during a telephone telephone that they had reviewed it. 

FBI Director, Christopher Wray (L), arrives to attest during a Congressional afloat committee proceeding connected nan "The CCP [Chinese Communist Party] Cyber Threat to nan American Homeland and National Security" successful Washington, DC, January 31, 2024.  (JULIA NIKHINSON/AFP via Getty Images)

During that call, Wray informed Grassley and Comer of "the value of nan Confidential Human Source (Smirnov) to nan FBI’s investigative work." 

"Indeed, successful respect to that alleged credibility, nan FBI informed nan House Committee connected Oversight and Accountability that nan Confidential Human Source was ‘highly credible,’ trusted, and had worked for nan FBI for years and had been paid ‘six figures,’" nan missive states, adding that nan "FBI further represented to Congress that accusation from nan Confidential Human Source was utilized successful criminal investigations and prosecutions." 

Grassley and Johnson besides pointed retired grounds from apical Justice Department officials, for illustration then-U.S. Attorney Scott Brady, who said nan FD-1023 and nan confidential quality root "was vetted against sources of Russian disinformation" and that DOJ officials "found that it was not originated from Russian disinformation." 

Special Counsel David Weiss (Department of Justice)

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They besides noted Wray’s grounds earlier nan Senate Judiciary Committee successful December, successful which he said he "learned of nan 1023 much, much, overmuch much precocious than thing astir 2020 that’s for sure." 

"That reply underscores nan problem that nan FBI Director was not apprised of nan FD-1023 until apparently years aft it was created," they wrote. "Why was nan FBI Director kept successful nan acheronian for truthful agelong erstwhile nan FBI told Congress their Confidential Human Source was ‘highly credible’ and nan matter progressive an alleged criminal strategy pinch nan sitting president?"

Wray risked being held successful contempt of Congress past twelvemonth complete nan form, aft it was subpoenaed and nan FBI grounded to nutrient it successful bid to protect nan CHS. Wray yet brought nan shape to Capitol Hill for lawmakers to reappraisal successful a SCIF. 

Grassley yet released a redacted type of nan FD-1023 to nan nationalist successful July 2023.

They further asked why investigative steps weren’t taken, specified arsenic interviewing Smirnov to "determine nan veracity, aliases deficiency thereof, pinch respect to nan FD-1023 for complete 3 years?"

Grassley and Johnson pointed retired that nan FBI did yet question and reply Smirnov, but did truthful connected Sept. 27, 2023 and "failed to apprise Congress of that fact." 

Grassley and Johnson said that nan Smirnov indictment, which was revenge successful February, shows that nan FBI and Weiss "failed to moreover interview" Smirnov until September 2023, aft Grassley and Comer "forced their hands and made nan FD-1023 nationalist connected July 20, 2023." 

Grassley and Johnson noted that a period later, successful precocious August, FBI investigators said pinch nan FBI handling supplier responsible for Smirnov. 

"The FBI’s questionable handling of this Confidential Human Source underscores, arsenic Senator Johnson has pointed out, a greater ungraded relating to nan wide corruption wrong national rule enforcement, nan Justice Department, and nan intelligence community," they wrote. 

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Grassley and Johnson are requesting nan Justice Department and FBI make Smirnov’s handling supplier and his superiors disposable for a "full-day transcribed question and reply nary later than May 7, 2024." 

The names of those individuals are included successful nan missive but are afloat redacted. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) arrives for a Senate Judiciary Committee proceeding connected judicial nominations connected Capitol Hill September 6, 2023 successful Washington, DC.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Grassley, connected Wednesday, reacted to his request, telling Fox News Digital that nan "FBI swore up and down to maine and my legislature colleagues that their Confidential Human Source was credible, but erstwhile they yet took a look astatine his accusation for illustration I asked, they now show nan nationalist he turned up reddish flags."

"If it weren’t for my oversight, Smirnov would still beryllium spinning tales for nan FBI connected nan taxpayer’s dime," Grassley said. "It is nan FBI and DOJ’s occupation to transportation retired delicate investigations successful an unbiased, prudent and timely manner. But almost 4 years aft nan FD-1023 was created, nan Justice Department and FBI person yet to travel cleanable to nan American people, corroborate they’ve investigated each facet of it and conclusively opportunity they’ve tally nan full matter to nan crushed erstwhile and for all." 

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Grassley said this business is simply a "prime illustration of nan train wreck that ensues erstwhile you fto partisan authorities get successful nan measurement of your law duty, and erstwhile nan authorities stiff-arms Congress and nan American people." 

"The FBI and DOJ ought to beryllium embarrassed by their colossal transparency failures," Grassley told Fox News Digital. "I won’t extremity until each those responsible person been held to relationship and location is afloat transparency regarding nan government’s behaviour successful this matter." 

Sen. Ron Johnson agreed, telling Fox News Digital that nan FBI and DOJ’s "questionable" handling of Smirnov and its "refusal to supply transparency to Congress underscores nan ungraded of nan wide corruption wrong our national rule enforcement agencies." 

The DOJ and FBI confirmed receipt of nan letter, but declined to remark further to Fox News Digital.