Is the House GOP's Biden impeachment drive dead?

FBI informant Alexander Smirnov has been indicted after admitting Russian intelligence fed him a false story about President Joe Biden

James Comer and Jim Jordan are seen in the Rayburn House office building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC
House Republicans cited Alexander Smirnov's claims in their attempt to paint Biden as corrupt
(Image credit: Craig Hudson / The Washington Post / Getty Images)

What happened?

Longtime FBI informant Alexander Smirnov "admitted that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved" in passing a false story about Hunter Biden to the FBI, prosecutors said Tuesday night. Smirnov was indicted last week for fabricating a story at the heart of the House impeachment effort, that President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden demanded $5 million bribes from Ukrainian energy company Burisma. James Biden told House investigators Wednesday that his brother "Joe Biden has never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest" in family members' business dealings.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.