Raskin: Biden impeachment inquiry squashed by Smirnov allegations

• House Republicans had leaned on unverified information provided by FBI informants as part of their bribery allegations into the president.

What they're saying: "The impeachment investigation essentially ended yesterday, in substance if not in form, with the explosive revelation that Mr. Smirnov's allegations about Ukrainian Burisma payments to Joe Biden were concocted along with Russian intelligence agents," Raskin told reporters.

• "It appears like the whole thing is not only, obviously, false and fraudulent, but a product of Russian disinformation and propaganda," Raskin added. "And that's been the motor force behind this investigation for more than a year."

Catch up quick: Special counsel David Weiss last week charged Smirnov with felony false statement and obstruction crimes for providing allegedly false information about Biden and his son.

• Prosecutors alleged Smirnov admitted that "officials associated with Russian intelligence" were involved in passing a story about Hunter Biden.

• Prosecutors also alleged that Smirnov told an FBI handler that the Russian Intelligence Service intercepted several cellphone calls placed at a hotel "by prominent U.S. persons the Russian government may use as 'kompromat' in the 2024 election."

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