it centres around this man, alexander smirnov, a long time informant for the fbi seen hear on the leften's son, hunter, alleging bribes via an energy firm based in ukraine. mr smirnov has now been charged with lying about that admitting that officials linked to russian intelligence, passed him information. live now to washington and our correspondent nomia iqbal. this is an extraordinary development overnight. tell us some of the reaction there has been. it really is extraordinary _ reaction there has been. it really is extraordinary because - reaction there has been. it really is extraordinary because it - reaction there has been. it really is extraordinary because it is - reaction there has been. it really l is extraordinary because it is worth remembering that alexander smirnov, this fbi informant, his allegations were central to the fbi's investigation into hunter biden and also the congressional information of republicans using this as proof of republicans using this as proof of hunter biden's corruption and you had media disseminating all of this. just looking at the reaction thi

the charges against alexander smirnov undercut a major part of republicans corruption claims against the president and the impeachment inquiry that they've launched against them smirnoff was behind two fbi memos in 2,017.20. 20. the latter one came after joe biden launched his campaign for president and it included explosive allegations that a burisma executives claimed that the company paid joe biden and hunter biden 5 million each during the the time that biden was vice president, in exchange for assisting the company's business interests. the indictment in federal court says that smirnoff allegations against the bidens were, quote a fabrication, an amalgam of otherwise unremarkable business meetings and contacts that actually occurred. but at a later date, then he claimed and for the purpose of pitching burisma and the defendant's preprint services and products, not for discussing brides to joe biden when he was in office, smirnoff appeared for an initial court appearance in las vegas, where he was arrested and cnn has been unable to reach an attorney representing him congrats, co

tell me about alexander smirnov. >> 43 years old, he's got a duel citizenship with israel.s somebody who for over ten years, actually going back to 2010, provided information to the fbi. it started out in some russian organized crime circles. that's not the mafia. russian organized crime has this very different relationship than say the italian mafia does with the u.s. it's interwoven, there's security services. security services help them out. it's this continual relationship, and alexander smirnov provided the fbi with information, clearly that they felt was helpful and relevant because he wouldn't have been part of the team for so long. he had his fbi handlers personal cell phone. that's how close they were talking nearly every day. flash forward, he had had some discussions about hunter biden being on the burisma board, the ukrainian natural gas company, that we know hunter biden did work for as a board member that he had some indication of what was going on there at the company, but then that takes a shift. and so starting several years ago, he starts talking about the

as for alexander smirnov, he has not yet entered a plea in his case, but norah, a judge has released him under restrictions pending trial. >> scott macfarlane on the hill tonight, thank you. >>> president biden is slamming gop front-runner donald trump for refusing to criticize russia's vladimir putin following the death of alexei navalny. the former president instead compared navalny's death to his own legal troubles. cbs' nancy cordes is traveling with the president in los angeles. >> why does trump always blame america? >> reporter: a suspicious death in russia is now a u.s. election issue after former president donald trump equated last week's demise of a famed opposition leader to his recent fine for business fraud. >> a form of navalny, it is a form of communism or fascism. >> reporter: at a town hall in south carolina, trump called alexei navalny's death in an arctic penal colony a, quote, sad situation, but declined once again to blame russia's president. >> putin is responsible for navalny's death. why can't trump just say that? putin is responsible. >> reporter: the biden a

laura: so the justice department special counsel, david weiss, has charged alexander smirnov with twoentially alleging that he has made false statements to a government agent. that's count one. count two, a falsification of records in a federal investigation. and in this indictment, the doj is saying that the defendant's story to the fbi -- this is in the document itself -- that the defendant's story to the fbi was a fabrication, an amalgam of otherwise unremarkable business meetings and contacts that had actually occurred. but, at a later date, then he claimed, and for the purpose of pitching burisma on the defendant's services and products, not for the discussing bribes to public official 1 when he was in office, talking about president biden there, but essentially all of the stories, everything that he had detailed to the fbi was a fabrication. geoff: and these allegations had become a flash point in large part because you had people like the house oversight committee chairman, james comer, other house republicans, saying that these allegations flat-out proved that president biden

laura: special counsel david weiss has charged alexander smirnov with two counts, alleging he has mades to a government agent, and a falsification of records in a federal investigation. and in this indictment the doj is saying that the defendant's story to the fbi was a fabrication, an amalgam of otherwise unremarkable business meetings and contacts that had actually occurred but at a later date than he claimed and for the purpose of pitching service and products, not discussing bribes. essentially everything he had detailed to the fbi was a fabrication. geoff: these allegations had become a flashpoint in large part because you had people like james comber and other house republicans saying that these allegations approved president biden was guilty of bribery. so what does all of this now mean for the house impeachment inquiry into president biden? laura: james comber in addition to senator chuck grassley and jim jordan repeatedly were trying to get a hold of this information that the fbi had from smirnov, the allegations he was making just last summer. comer was calling this informant

raskin: the majority has he is now on the lam being the most recent recent to implode is alexander smirnov with the false allege that burisma had given illegal bribes to hunter biden and now that has been proven the speaks man of classic disinformation and propaganda who donald trump appointed as special attorney and special counsel in the hunter biden case. there is an entire special counsel just to deal with hunter biden and his tax charges and his gun charges. all of this is a complete side show. if somebody thinks there is a high crime or misdemeanor relating to joe biden, they should tell us what it is but we haven't heard anything. [indiscernible question] >> i'm not quite sure i follow the question. [indiscernible] mr. raskin: well, impeachment like criminal prosecutions follow criminal conduct. donald trump had a violent snarks -- insurrection and he was impeached by the house of representatives and there was 57-43 vote in the senate to convict him. he escaped conviction by 10 votes and beat the constitutional spread of 2/3 but commanding bicameral majorities he engaged in insurrec

longtime fbi informant alexander smirnov, seen here covered in a scarf, hat, and sunglasses, has been charged with providing false information about president biden and his son hunter. some of it allegedly coming from russian intelligence officials. republicans had championed the evidence he presented. >> even a trusted fbi informant has alleged a bribe to the biden family. >> reporter: that claim from smirnov that hunter biden and his father sought from burisma, a ukrainian energy firm, $5 million in bribes, prosecutors say it was a lie. republicans struggled to answer questions about smirnov's indictment. >> you got ask the fbi. he may have given false statements -- i don't know. >> reporter: prosecutors argue smirnov, a dual u.s.-israeli citizen with more than $6 million in his bank account, is a flight risk who is actively peddling new lies that could impact the election. given that he had contact with russian intelligence officials this past november, democrats say the republicans' impeachment probe is forever tarnished. >> any further investigation into this impeachment inquiry

attorneys for alexander smirnov declined to comment. >>> parenting youtuber ruby franke and her business partner were each sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for child abuse on tuesday. the pair was accused of creating a, quote, concentration camp-like setting. >>> and the american gaming association reports u.s. casinos brought in a record-breaking $66.5 billion last year. that's up 10% from the previous record set in 2022. >>> for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm carissa lawson, cbs news, >> >>> it's wednesday, february 21st, 2024. this is "cbs news mornings." new arrests in the deadly mass shooting at the chiefs' super bowl celebration. two men wounded in gunfire now charged with murder. >>> an american ballerina detained in russia. her family pleading for her release as president biden prepares to announce major sanctions against the kremlin over alexei navalny's death. >>> first, the countdown to south carolina. nikki haley refusing to quit while gop frontrunner and former president donald trump is already declaring victory. >>> well, good m

his name is alexander smirnov, seen leaving court, concealing his face right there, now charged. meantime, house republicans today questioning the president's brother james biden behind closed doors. what he said today. as our pierre thomas tonight asks republicans in the house, how do you move forward if the main informant was lying? >> reporter: tonight, a first glimpse of the longtime fbi informant accused of working with russian intelligence officials to spread lies about president biden. alexander smirnov doing his best to conceal his identity as he's spirited away from a courthouse in las vegas. prosecutors say smirnov was "actively peddling new lies that could impact u.s. elections after meeting with russian intelligence officials in november." smirnov is charged with lying to the fbi, making up a story that as vice president, joe biden accepted a $5 million bribe from burisma, the ukrainian energy company where his son hunter sat on the board. that false story cited by house republicans again and again to justify launching their impeachment investigation. >> a highly cred

his name is alexander smirnov, seen leaving court, concealing his face. now charged. meantime, house republicans today questioning the president's brother james biden behind closed doors. what he said today. as our pierre thomas tonight asks republicans in the house, how do you move forward if the main informant was lying? >> reporter: tonight, a first glimpse of the longtime fbi informant accused of working with russian intelligence officials to spread lies about president biden. alexander smirnov doing his best to conceal his identity as he's spirited away from a courthouse in las vegas. prosecutors say smirnov was "actively peddling new lies that could impact u.s. elections after meeting with russian intelligence officials in november." smirnov is charged with lying to the fbi, making up a story that as vice president, joe biden accepted a $5 million bribe from burisma, the ukrainian energy company where his son hunter sat on the board. that false story cited by house republicans again and again to justify launching their impeachment investigation. >> a highly cred

prosecutors are claiming alexander smirnov had ties to russian intelligence operatives.ocrats and much of the media are insisting this is all a huge blow to the impeachment inquiry effort. republicans say there is a lot of evidence. fox justice department correspondent david spunt is live on capitol hill. democrats are hoping that would blow a hole in things. where do we stand? >> they are, harris, ultimately democrats are even asking the question about the f.b.i. and employing smirnov as a confidential source for so long. it came up today before james biden arrived on capitol hill. he is behind closed doors. it will be a long day for the president's brother, james, or as he is known jim biden. probably until 6:00 tonight. i tried to ask him some questions about using his brother's name in business. he declined to answer. he kept walking forward. his lawyer said he would have no comment. republicans believe that some of this interview today will potentially lead them down new avenues or confirm facts about joe biden's alleged involvement in family business affairs. democ

attorneys for alexander smirnov declined to comment. sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for child abuse on tuesday. the pair was accused of creating a, quote, concentration camp-like setting. >>> and the american gaming association reports u.s. casinos brou t in a record-breaking $66.5 billion last year. that's up 10% from the previous record set in 2022. >>> for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. lawson, cbs news, new york. [ sound of gunfire ] >>> the breaking news. new murder charges in the kansas city super bowl parade shooting. two adults now in custody, both held on million dollar bonds. tonight investigators warn more people could face justice. >> we seek to hold every shooter accountable for their actions on that day. we are not done yet. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >>> good evening. i'm norah o'donnell, and thank you for being with us. we do want to begin tonight with that breaking news with new arrests in the deadly mass shooting at the kansas city chiefs super bowl celeb

his name is alexander smirnov. he was charged last week with lying to the fbi when he claimed to have knowledge of corruption by president biden and his son, hunter involving ukraine then last night, core documents reveal that he said he got the bogus smear material from russian intelligence. now we should say at the outset that he is only an alleged liar, not a proven liar, and his claims about ties to russian intelligence are just that claims what is clear though, is that nothing about all of this bolsters this guy's credibility it house republican to made what he told the fbi documented in what's called an fd 1023 form, the centerpiece of their impeachment inquiry and in the day or so since the russian aspect of the story came to light, we've taken the time to uncover yet more examples of just how much credence lawmakers have put in a man and an allegation so much in doubt. now, tonight this is direct evidence of naked corruption and bribery >> this is the biggest political corruption scandal, not only in my lif

the informant, who made claims about hunter biden and his father, alexander smirnov is his name, and tonight, what authorities now say the infour mant has told them about his connections to russian intelligence officials who he says were feeding him information. the special counsel saying tonight, he must be kept behind bars, arguing, he is a flight risk. abc's chief justice correspondent pierre thomas leading us off. >> reporter: tonight, federal prosecutors say the former fbi informant accused of spreading lies about joe and hunter biden has admitted that "officials associated with russian intelligence were involved in passing a story" about the president's son. the informant, alexander smirnov, was arrested last week, and is being charged with lying to the fbi, claiming that the bidens accepted a $5 million bribe from burisma, the ukrainian energy company where hunter bides once set on the board. house republicans have used that story as a justification in their efforts to impeach president biden. prosecutors now calling it a fabrication. in a new court filing, special counsel dav

as for alexander smirnov, he has not yet entered a plea in this case but norah, judge has released himer restrictions pending trial. >> norah: scott macfarlane on the hill for us tonight, thank you. president biden is slamming g.o.p. front-runner donald trump for refusing to criticize russia's vladimir putin following the death of alexey navalny. the former president instead compared navalny's death to his own legal troubles. cbs's nancy cordes is traveling with the president in los angeles. >> why does trump always blame america? >> reporter: a suspicious death and russia is now u.s. election issue after former president donald trump equated last week's demise of a famed opposition leader to his recent fine for business fraud. >> a form of navalny, it is a form of communism or fascism. >> reporter: at a town hall in south carolina, trump called alexei navalny's death in an arctic penal colony of "sad situation" but declined once again to blame russia's president. >> putin is responsible for navalny's death. why can't trump say that? putin is responsible. >> reporter: the biden adminis

the informant, who made claims about hunter biden and his father, alexander smirnov is his name, and tonight, what authorities now say the informant has told them about his connections to russian intelligence officials who he says were feeding him information. late tonight, the special counsel saying he must be kept behind bars, arguing he is a flight risk. here's our chief justice correspondent, pierre thomas, leading us off tonight. >> reporter: tonight, federal prosecutors say the former fbi informant accused of spreading lies about joe and hunter biden has admitted that officials associated with russian intelligence were involved in passing a story about the president's son. the informant, alexander smirnov, was arrested last week and is being charged with lying to the fbi, claiming that the bidens accepted a $5 million bribe from burisma, the ukrainian energy company where hunter biden once sat on the board. house republicans have used that story as a justification in their efforts to impeach president biden. prosecutors now calling it a fabrication. in a new court filing, speci

longtime fbi informant alexander smirnov, seen here covered in a scarf, hat, and sunglasses, has beenrged with providing false information about president biden and his son hunter, some of it allegedly coming from russian intelligence officials. republicans had championed the evidence he presented. >> even a trusted fbi informant has alleged a bribe to the biden family. >> reporter: that claim from smirnov that hunter biden and his father sought from burisma, a ukrainian energy firm, $5 million in bribes. prosecutors now say it was a lie. republicans today struggled to answer questions about smirnov's indictment. >> all i'm saying is you've got to ask the fbi about that. he may in fact have given false information. i don't know. >> reporter: prosecutors argue smirnov, a dual u.s. israeli citizen with more than $6 million in his bank account is a flight risk who is actively peddling new lies that could impact the election given he had contact with russian intelligence officials this november. democrats say the impeachment probe is forever tarnished. >> any investigation of this impeach

well, >> alexander smirnov wolf was behind those very damaging allegations against president biden, one of the things he said to the fbi in 2020 was that he had information mission indicating that hunter biden, his son, and then former vice president. we're going to get $5 a piece in order to help fix some businesses for burisma, which was ukrainian energy company, according to the fbi, according to the justice department, none of that is true. he is charged with a line to the fbi and falsifying records. now, what the this new court filing which just came in in the last hour says that after smirnoff was arrested by the fbi last week, he said the following. he said that smirnoff admitted that officials associated with russia and intelligence, we're in in passing a story about hunter biden, business person. one is the one is what the justice department refers to in this filing, whether it is hunter biden that they are referring to now, smirnoff is due before a judge in the next few minutes, wolf, the fbi and the justice department want him to remain detained while he faces these new charg

smirnov, has now been indicted. so that is it's something to consider that these are just allegations here. anderson. but the question is, can they convince enough house republicans to move forward with articles of impeachment? at the moment, they have simply not done that yet. and this latest indictment only will undercut their efforts to impeach the president in the weeks ahead, anderson and as we mentioned, president biden's brother there are testified behind closed doors on capitol hill today as part of the oversight committees impeachment investigation, what did he say? >> well, he made very clear he was unequivocal according to his attorney, you just released a statement that joe biden had absolutely no involvement indirectly or directly? equally with his brother's business dealings at all. and it's contended that there were some questions that republicans had about loans that were given to joe biden. they're paid off by his brother, james biden. james biden testified behind closed doors today that those are s

i'm alexander smirnov, international, man of mr.. at the center of the alleged $5 million bribe scandal to joe biden. i'm sitting in my lawyer's office and there's a knock at the door and it's the fbi and here's smearing off his lawyer, david chest off to like valleys under smirnoff, you're under arrest. have an arrest warrant we are commanded to arrest you and they're like, yeah, we know that. okay. he's already been arrested. were arresting him again on new charges. now, on the same charges, guys, i know this is fun, but you just can't keep around testing somebody over and again. they're like we have a different warrant from a different judge on the same charges. so what the fbi did was the magistrate said bail saying, look, he's not a danger to the community. he's not a mob hitman. he's not a gang leader. yes, he's a political lightning rod but that's a political problem, not a public safety one. so i'm gonna give them an ankle bracelet. we're going to secure some bond and let them out. they went to the trial judge in california a

they frequently cited the existence of an fbi informant who we know is alexander smirnov. smirnov allegedly told the fbi in a document now known as fd 1023 that in 2015 he had a contact who claimed that vice president biden and his son hunter had each accepted a $5 million bribe. to protect bar ris ma from all the things. he also claimed to have recordings of all of it. republicans' maga media caught wind of this from a mysterious whistle-blower and, boom, they had their bombshell. >> that fd 1023 form that documented allegations of bribery from a trusted fbi confidential human source has now finally been released. >> one of the fbi's top informants, a guy with impeccable credentials, a great track record, reported an allegation that joe biden took a $5 million bribe right under barack obama's nose from a foreign national in exchange for a policy decision. >> a veteran fbi informant alleging both the president and hunter biden each took $5 million in bribes. >> the details come from an fbi informant who is very trusted. >> now we're learning from a credible source who they

we expect the name alexander smirnov to come up in conversation among many other topics. bret?bret: we will follow it all, david, thanks. stocks finished lower ahead of key inflation data. the dow lost 62. the s&p 500 was off 19. the nasdaq dropped 21. ♪ ♪ >> bret: the prime minister of the palestinian authority says his government is resigning. this comes as israel accelerates preparations for expanding its ground operation in gaza. and president biden sets a timeline for a new cease-fire. senior correspondent mike tobin has the latest tonight from tel aviv. good evening, mike. >> >> good evening, bret. with tensions pee peaking on evy side of the conflict president biden expressed optimism that a cease-fire proposal is close and he said a deal could be reached by the end of the weekend. >> israel's war cabinet is reviewing a plan to evacuate more than a million palestinian refugees from rafah. the southern most town in the gaza strip. despite international pressure and fears of mass civilian casualties. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu says an offensive into rafah is

hunter's team has recently proudly been citing the arrest of alexander smirnov, the former f.b.i. behind bars today after a judge determined he is a flight risk. charged with lying to the f.b.i. when he said that both joe and hunter biden received $5 million each in bribes from ukrainians. a talking point republicans used for months. >> a highly credible f.b.i. source alleges that joe biden received $5 million in exchange for pressuring for the firing of the ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the ukrainian natural gas firm that hunter biden was on the board of, burisma. >> that was back in september. republicans insist they are looking at chinese connections to hunter and their investigation is much more than allegations from alexander smirnov. hunter biden will appear at 10:00 a.m. closed doors. there will be a transcript that will be released eventually that we all want to read. >> bill: maybe tomorrow afternoon. >> i doubt it. not that quick. >> bill: thank you, david spunt in d.c. t. swifty's dad accused of tussling with a photographer. he hit a member of the paparazzi

laura: alexander smirnov first made this raw allegation in 2020. it was not corroborated.y is david vaught -- david weiss deciding to bring these charges now, and also want you think smirnov is just revealing last week that he has been in contact with russian intel officials? >> it seems as though mr. weiss has been willing a case against mr. smirnov and that the fbi knew along the way that mr. smit office telling them lies and fabrications, they were able to corroborate the assertions that these were falsehoods because his chronology did not line up, the times he said -- said he met with the burisma company did not line up. he made allegations about hunter biden being in a country that hunter biden never visited. it's about building that case to be able to prosecute him fully for false statements to the fbi. now have this amount of new evidence and allegations in the court filing because the justice department is trying to implore the judges to not release his or smirnov before. so that's where all this new information comes in. he is revealing it to the government after

alexander smirnov went to the front as a volunteer, he says, when classmates and friends went to theth military district zone, he just did. i couldn’t do otherwise, when i was captured, the connection with my family was interrupted , now it has been restored, yes, my family didn’t even know that i was alive and well, so i called, my sister didn’t even recognize me, because maybe she didn’t believe it anymore , that i’m alive, then i’m like, it’s you, sasha, yes, well, i started crying in russia, we came to russia with such a feeling, and everything is at home in our homeland, in general joy, everything is in our homeland earth, this is the most important thing, well, even the air, probably different in general, “two sisters, brothers, a big family in tula, well, yes, i just want to hug my mother, i haven’t seen him for a long time, he carefully takes out an icon from the breast pocket of his military uniform, he says , i read a prayer every day, vladislav andreev from the perm region, from the city of berezniki, a machine gunner, fought in the zaporozhye direction, mother russia save

and the committee continuing to chug along despite what we saw from the verdict with alexander smirnovth anything breaking a hole in their impeachment investigation, they are having these interviews. we up james biden to be in there for quite some time. in a week we're expecting a similar setup with hunter biden appearing behind closed doors. they're going to see if they can get to any place where they can prove any issues they're alleging. jim jordan, and those folks are pressing on. i want you to listen to what james raskin had to say, of course the top democrat on this panel. watch. >> this is a subdued affair, and i'm restating my call to chairman comer, to speaker johnson, to fold up the tent to the circus show, it's really over. >> reporter: remember, chris, they have authorized this impeachment inquiry into the president. they have not voted on articles of impeachment. it will be interesting to see if these developments get them to a place where they have the votes to do. so as you heard from jamie raskin, they think this is nothing more than political stunts and shams. again, r

new revelations about alexander smirnov, the former fbi informant whose claims about the bidens are nowthe heart of the president's impeachment inquiry. but now that the fbi says russia was actually behind the fabricated stories, why are republicans still buying it? >>> plus, even as we're learning new details about russia's attempts to meddle in the november elections, donald trump is staying silent on vladimir putin's misdeeds, instead he's criticizing his own country for going communist. will the presidential race turn into a referendum about where the two candidates stand when it comes to the kremlin? >>> and according to the old adage, cash is king, especially in politics, but does this still hold true this year? maybe not for trump. new numbers show the former president spending more than he raised last month, but he's still running away with the nomination. so what gives? a lot to get to. we start with former fbi informant, alexander smirnov with a sensational claim that the lies he told about a fake biden bribery scheme came straight from russian intelligence. smirnov, who worke

. >> and just this morning we got a trial date for alexander smirnov charged with lying about the bidens receiving bribes in a ukrainian energy company in 2015. what do we know about that? >> reporter: we know prosecutors are moving very quickly as it relates to this trial. they are planning an april trial date, that is just about two months since they arrested alex an lex ander alexander smirnov. and it is the tip sheet smirnoff oig was the source of that accused joe biden of being part of a bribery scheme that house republicans have based a lot of their impeachment inquiry on. in many ways the foundation of the accusations they are making against biden. they repeatedly said over and over again that the tip sheets unto itself was enough to draw up articles of impeachment. now that tip sheet proven to at least be suspicious and not very trust were any. one of the reasons that federal prosecutors didn't act on it beyond the initial tip. now we're seeing issues with the informant himself which will play out in a court of law in a couple months. >> and garrett, president biden met with top

laura: alexander smirnov first raw unverified allegation in 2020. it was not corroborated.is david weiss, a trump appointed attorney, deciding to bring these charges now, and why is smirnov just now revealing last week that he has been in contact with russian intel officials? ryan: it seems as though mr. weiss has been willing a case against mr. smirnov and that the fbi knew along the way that mr. smirnov telling them lies and fabrications, they were able to corroborate the assertions that these were falsehoods because his chronology did not line up, the times he said -- said he met with the burisma company did not line up. he made allegations about hunter biden being in a country that hunter biden never visited. it's about building that case to be able to prosecute him fully for false statements to the fbi. now we have this mountain of new evidence and allegations in the court filing because the justice department is trying to implore the judges not to release mr. smirnov before trial. so that's where all this new information comes in. he is revealing it to the government

look, special, counsel, david weiss says that this longtime fbi informant alexander smirnov, lied to investigators when he accused joe biden and hunter biden of corruption. he made up a story about the bidens taking millions of dollars of bribes from the ukrainian energy company burisma, where hunter biden was on the board, including when his dad was vp. so this informant past that tip along to the fbi in the summer of 2020 seemingly corroborating the republicans claimed that the biden's were peddling their influence in ukraine to get rich. there was only one problem though, brianna, it wasn't true according to this indictment, according to special counsel, david weiss. and remember, weiss not a biden crony. he he's a trump appointee. he has literally currently prosecuting hunter biden during an election year, but he said that these were fabricated allegations. >> republicans have tried to nonetheless discredit weiss, as i mentioned, these allegations, he's discredited allegations. marshall have really been the linchpin no matter what james comer says of so much of what republicans h

smirnov, the former fbi informant, has been indicted for lying about the biden family and their alleged dealings in ukraine and has been arrested twice. cnn legal analyst norm eisen is joining us now. norm, it's always great to see you this committee is going to go ahead with hunter biden's deposition, even as this case unraveling before our eyes >> jessica the impeachment investigation has an impeachment in search of a high crime and misdemeanor and that kind of backwards thinking where you decide to move against the president for what are obviously political reasons, has now backfired on. jim comer and jim jordan and the others who are pushing this impeachment with the arrest of perhaps their key central, most important witness, alexander smirnov, is not only that he's accused of lying in the form from 1023, that the impeachers work so hard to get a new, it was not verified. but also that russian intelligence had been passing him information. there's no basis legal basis to proceed with the biden deposition they're doing it anyhow. they're making a mockery of this impeachment inquiry.

. >> alexander smirnov was arrested wednesday charged with lying about financial ties between the president, his son hunter, and the ukrainian energy company, burisma, allegations that have been central to the republicans' impeachment push burisma, as you know, had hired hunter onto its board, but the justice department says smirnov falsely claimed that the company paid the bidens $5 million each in bribes. tonight the top house republican says the impeachment inquiry does not rely on that informant's accusations, but on a, quote, large record of evidence and that they're going to continue to follow the facts, lester. >> all right, peter, thank you. >>> overnight, the northeast including philadelphia and new york are preparing for snow, but in the west, potentially dangerous flooding tonight and into tomorrow from oregon down to central california, and a second storm not far behind will start pouring heavy rain on the california coast sunday afternoon raising the risk of floods and mudslides next week. >>> the first charges have been filed in the deadly mass shooting in kansas city at the c

., a former fbi agent alexander smirnov appeared in court in california. he was in an orange jumpsuit. federal judge otis wright ordered him to jail pending trial saying he's a risk to fleeing the country. smirnov has access to $6 million, duel citizenship including israel and contacts that could help him flee. smirnov's attorneys plan to appeal. >> it's our intention to seek relief in the ninth circuit. >> reporter: he's charged with making false statements to fbi agents including the energy firm bur's ma that paid president biden and hunter biden $5 million each. >> even a trusted fbi informant has alleged a bribe to the biden family. >> reporter: president biden said the impeachment probe should be dropped given smirnov's indictment. >> he is lying and it should be dropped, and it's just been an outrageous effort from the beginning. >> reporter: republicans insist they'll plow ahead with an impeachment inquiry. they'll plunge into an all-day closed-door deposition on wednesday. they say this is just an effort to boost donald trump. >>> breaking overnigh

alexander smirnov was taken into custody in las vegas two days after he was released on bond. prosecutors say he was a flight risk. smirnov's claims are a essential part of house republicans' impeachment inquiry into president biden. >>> two more fertility clinics in alabama have paused in vitro fertilization treatments, sending patients scrambling to make other plans. it comes after the state supreme court ruled that frozen embryos have the same rights as children. the clinics cited the legal risks in the wake of the ruling. on wednesday the university of alabama at birmingham health system said it was pausing ivf treatments, as well. >>> cellphone service for at&t customers is restored after a widespread outage. the company is blaming a technical error, not a malicious attack. yesterday users reported problems from chicago to boston -- rather dallas to los angeles. at&t says the disruption happened while it was expanding its network. >>> coming up, hair ruling. a judge's decision in the case of a black high school student suspended from classes because of the length of his h

smirnov, who claimed that biden was involved in a bribery scheme involving his son's businesses now special counsel david weiss has accused smirnov of lying to the fbi and also being involved with a russian intelligence official. now, that indictment enough for democrats to say that it is time for the impeachment inquiry to come to an end. republicans though are rejecting that push. lester. >> ryan nobles, thank you. >>> just in tonight, a u.s. serviceman accused of spying according to documents. a navy sailor assigned to a u.s. warship based in japan is charged with espionage and communicating defense information to a foreign citizen. chief petty officer fire controlman bryce pedicini was charged last may and was expected to face court-martial today. >>> in southern california the rains have stopped, and for now states of emergency remain in some places, and coastal erosion is heightening the threat to homes liz kreutz is there for us tonight >> reporter: tonight, california still on high alert following the latest wave of severe weather in malibu this morning, a massive mudslide s

alexander smirnov was a variation of a double agent. at some point, he went south on the fbi. he worked for them for years. he was paid as ab informant, so he was presumably giving up things of value for sure. but he went south. i like to say the more in contact with high-value targets, particularly adversarial foreign intelligence targets, the more likely that they could turn on you and become a double. when had that happened, i'd love to know. i'm sure the fbi would love to know i'd like to know whether all the proper procedures were followed for somebody all the operating at this level. meaning was he polygraphed, when was he toly grafd, was there countersurveillance to ensure he was still teling the truth or he was hiding people that he had met with, but not told the bureau about it. then a key question for me is how did members of congress actually get turned on to smirnov. how did they even know to ask about this 1023. and geb, as has been said, the 1023 is a piece of paper thatment documents what someone gave you in terms of information. if congress wants to demand a 10

smirnov, who claimed that biden was involved in a bribery scheme involving his son's businesses nowspecial counsel david weiss has accused smirnov of lying to the fbi and also being involved with a russian intelligence official. now, that indictment enough for democrats to say that it is time for the impeachment inquiry to come to an end. republicans though are rejecting that push. lester. >> ryan nobles, thank you. >>> just in tonight, a u.s. serviceman accused of spying according to documents. a navy sailor assigned to a u.s. warship based in japan is charged with espionage and communicating defense information to a foreign citizen. chief petty officer fire controlman bryce pedicini was charged last may and was expected to face court-martial today. >>> in southern california the rains have stopped, and for now states of emergency remain in some places, and coastal erosion is heightening the threat to homes liz kreutz is there for us tonight >> reporter: tonight, california still on high alert following the latest wave of severe weather in malibu this morning, a massive mudslide sh

. >> alexander smirnov was arrested wednesday charged with lying about financial ties between the presidentd ukrainian energy company burisma allegations that have been central to the republicans' impeachment push. >> desi: yeah. not only was this guy lying about joe biden getting bribes, the fbi says he was also working with russian intelligence! yeah, russia! again! can we please just get a new storyline? just once i want to hear that, like, bhutan is meddling in our elections, just to mix things up! didn't we just find out aliens are real? maybe they want to get in on this. so the impeachment case against biden just took a big hit -- although, it wasn't that strong to begin with. it's like saying when jimmy carter entered hospice, he blew his chances of making the nba. so now that prosecutors say this guy is a liar working with russian intelligence, surely jesse, a responsible journalist, is taking it upon himself to apologize and make the necessary corrections. >> everyone who blows the whistle on the biden syndicate or is connected to it has been arrested. what does that tell you? joe

>> reporter: yes, lester federal prosecutors say alexander smirnov, the fbi informant now accused of lying about biden family business dealings, met with russian intelligence officials in november. smirnov's lawyers say he's presumed innocent, and late tonight, a judge in las vegas just ordered him released on bond lester >> all right, gabe gutierrez, thank you >>> doctors and families seeking fertility treatments are weighing the potential impact of an alabama ruling that found frozen embryos are children without exception. a ruling which could have broad implications laura jarrett has more >> reporter: gaby rodriguez, like so many others, is currently undergoing fertility treatment. >> we're in this very traditional family that just wants to have a kid. >> reporter: but she's now on edge, after the highest court in alabama decided frozen embryos are children, and people can be held legally responsible for destroying them. rodriguez worries knowing doctors may find some of her embryos not viable >> i don't necessarily want to implant a child that i know is going to miscarry. so, wha

that's when 808592400 a judge has just ordered former fbi informant, alexander smirnov to remain behind bars while awaiting trial. remember, he's accused of lying to investigators here's about the biden family's business dealings. and there were major concerns among prosecutors about him being a flight risk. smirnoff appeared today before the same federal judge in la who ordered his rearrest last week. cnn's nick watt is outside the courthouse in los angeles for us nick, you were there for the proceedings. walk us through what happened >> well, first of all, boris, why we're here. so this guy is a accused of lying to his fbi handler, telling that handler that burisma executives over new crane had told him that they only hired hunter biden. so that his dad, joe biden, then vice president, could protect them from an investigation. he says he was told that joe and hunter biden each got $5 million. now, a doj lawyer in here today said, listen, the paper trail makes it very clear that this guy, alexander smirnov, just made that up. now smirnoff appeared in court today heavy rimmed glasses. h

. >> and ryan, what about alexander smirnov charged with lying about hunter biden and president biden to the fbi, kind of spurring a lot of the allegations related to foreign business dealings, i should note. smirnov has pleaded not guilty, we just learned his trial date is now set for april just at the end of the month there. has this developmen changed republican impeachment pursuits at all? >> well, i don't think the investigators would ever admit that publicly, ana. the fact of the matter is that it took a lot of the wind out of their sals. they pointed to this fbi tip sheet, which alexander smirnov was the source of as being one of their most important piece of evidence that backed up their claims that joe biden was part of a bribery scheme. the fact that he's now accused of lying to the fbi really takes any sort of weight that was associated with that tip sheet out from underneath him. and it's part of the reason that the fbi was so insistent that the committee and the impeachment inquiry not rely so heavily on that tip sheet because tip sheets are just the impinge of an investi

alexander smirnov, de 43 años, se declaró no culpable de los cargos de mentirle al fbi cuando afirmóbe de querer censurarlo, esto debido a que la plataforma quitó su conferencia del pasado jueves, en donde el mandatario reveló el teléfono de la periodista del new york times, que lo había cuestionado sobre presuntos vínculos de sus allegados con el narco tráfico. se tiene que seguir enfrentando todas esas calumnias. no hemos visto al peor lópez obrador con la conferencia de hoy o de esta semana, sino veremos a un lópez obrador todavía mucho peor en los siguientes días. youtube le dijo a noticias telemundo que removió el video en cumplimiento de sus políticas contra el acoso que impiden revelar información personal de terceros. tras la decisión de amlo en méxico se filtraron los números de su hijo y también de las 2 candidatas presidenciales. seguimos en méxico, en donde encontraron el cuerpo de 1 de los 7 cadetes. desaparece luego de tirarse al mar durante un entrenamiento en ensenada, baja california. agustín nos informa incondicional. han sido para mí ellos. fabiola llora por la mue

biden was running for president in 2020, alexander smirnov falsely told fbi agents that burisma executives paid the bidens $5 million each in 2015 or 2016. house republicans have used that claim as part of their impeachment inquiry into president biden. >>> and we're learning new details today about what led to the mass shooting at the kansas city chiefs' super bowl parade as the community comes together to mourn. a vigil was held last night to show support to the victim and survivors. meanwhile, police say it started as an argument between several people. two teenagers remain in custody, and charges are expected to be announced later today. cbs' charlie demar has more from kansas city. >> reporter: as investigators now process a massive crime scene -- [ gunfire ] -- the people of kansas city are trying to process how a family-friendly super bowl celebration destroyed so many lives in an instant. lisa lopez-galvan, local radio personality, was there with several family members. her son was shot, she was killed. >> there's an initial shock, and it feels like a bad dream. >> reporter: we spo

in los angeles a former fbi informant alexander smirnov accused of smearing trump's 2024 rival with hishackled and wearing a prison jumpsuit. federal judge otis wright ordered him jailed pending trial saying he is a risk to flee the country. prosecutors made the request ordering smirnov has access to $6 million, dual citizenship in the u.s. and israel, and contacts with foreign intelligence agencies that could help him flee. smirnov's attorneys plan to appeal. >> it's our intention to seek relief in the ninth circuit. >> reporter: is charged with making false statement to the fbi agents executives from the firm burisma paid to president biden and his son hunter $5 million each. republicans probing the bidens family finances as the impeachment inquiry for your frequently cited smirnov's claims. >> even a trusted fbi informant has alleged a bribe to the biden family. >> reporter: president biden said the impeachment probe should be dropped given the indictment. >> he is lying and it should be dropped, and it has been an outrageous effort from the beginning. >> reporter: republicans will p

la acusación señala que alexander smirnov, de 43 años, enfrenta cargos por mentir al fbi y crear registrosieron con líderes de grupos criminales y dicen que lo hicieron con autoridad del papa francisco. agustín nos cuenta los resultados, desencuentros y las consecuencias. rezaron en sus iglesias. antes de buscar a los criminales en sus guaridas. no están tocando nuestra gente, verdad? dicen que el papa francisco les dio permiso para reunirse con ellos. querían una tregua para la violencia que azota a sus pueblos. el papa nos nos dijo que ya tiene experiencias de este tipo, pero aseguran que los narcotraficantes que extorsionan y recientemente han quemado vehículos y asesinado a choferes del transporte público rechazan su propuesta. la ambición y la ambición de tener un afán de dinero, un afán de poder y esto, pues no pudimos. esta mañana la alcaldesa de chilpancingo vio con buenos ojos el encuentro que tuvieron en diciembre los 4 clérigos con el narco. todo lo que lo que pueda traer la paz vale la pena. lo veo muy bien. lo mismo dijo el presidente, aunque reconoció que garantizar la paz es

the trump appointed special counsel investigating hunter biden says former informant alexander smirnov was lying when he claimed that a ukrainian energy company paid joe and hunter biden $5 million in bribes when joe biden was vice president. that allegation has been cited by republicans in their effort to impeach the president. hunter biden's attorney responded, saying republicans have built their conspiracies about hunter and his family on lies. the air is out of their balloon, but house republicans say their impeachment inquiry will continue. they say their case relies on more than smirnov's claims. democrats claim smirnov's arrest proves the case is a sham. >> an emotional gathering in kansas city last night to remember the woman who was shot and killed at the chiefs super bowl victory rally. people lit candles for lisa lopez galvan, a radio dj and a mother of two. a friend said lopez galvan loved everybody. >> she was a good person. this was senseless, senseless and i hope that we can learn from this . but i hate that that god took such a beautiful person. >> new video shows peopl

. >> alexander smirnov was arrested wednesday charged with lying about financial ties on the president, his son and burisma allegations that have been central to the republicans' impeachment push. burisma, as you know, hired hunter on its board, but the justice department says smirnov falsely claimed that the company paid the bidens $5 million each in bribes. tonight the top house republican says the impeachment inquiry does not rely on that informant's accusations, but on a, quote, large record of evidence and that they're going to continue to follow the facts, lester. >> all right, peter, thank you. >>> overnight the northeast including philadelphia and new york are preparing for snow, but in the west potentially dangerous flooding tonight and into tomorrow from oregon down to central california, and a second storm not far behind will start pouring heavy rain on the california coast sunday afternoon raising the risk of floods and mudslides next week. >>> the first charges have been filed in the deadly mass shooting in kansas city at the chiefs super bowl victory celebration, and magg