{"id":2185378,"date":"2024-02-23T19:52:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-24T00:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ex-fbi-informant-smirnovs-fight-for-release-moves-to-california\/"},"modified":"2024-02-23T19:54:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-24T00:54:32","slug":"ex-fbi-informant-smirnovs-fight-for-release-moves-to-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ex-fbi-informant-smirnovs-fight-for-release-moves-to-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Smirnov, former FBI informant, seeks release in California"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fex-fbi-informant-smirnovs-fight-for-release-moves-to-california%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2185378&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Judge Orders Transfer\u200c of Former Informant Accused\u200b of \u2062Lying to FBI<\/h2>\n<p>A judge has made\u200b a decisive ruling, \u200dordering U.S. \u200dmarshals\u2062 to transfer Alexander \u200cSmirnov, the former informant accused of \u2063lying to the FBI,\u2064 to California for an upcoming hearing. This hearing will determine whether Smirnov will remain in custody.<\/p>\n<h3>Second \u2064Arrest and Appeal<\/h3>\n<p>Smirnov was arrested for a second time in Las Vegas\u2063 after being charged by the Department\u2062 of Justice with making false statements to federal investigators. \u2062These statements were allegedly\u200b intended\u200b to\u200b politically damage President\u2062 Joe Biden. Initially, Smirnov\u2063 had convinced a Nevada judge to\u200c grant him temporary release with certain conditions, including \u2063wearing an ankle\u200c monitor.<\/p>\n<p>Special \u200ccounsel David Weiss, however, \u200bappealed the judge&#8217;s decision and requested that Judge Otis Wright of the Central District\u200c of California reconsider \u200bwhether Smirnov\u200d should be released. Judge Wright has the final say on Smirnov&#8217;s custody since the indictment\u200d was originally filed in his district.<\/p>\n<h3>Prosecutors Argue Flight Risk<\/h3>\n<p>Prosecutors \u200cpresented their case to Judge Wright, arguing that Smirnov, an Israeli American, poses a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-jersey-senators-wife-pleads-not-guilty-in-bribery-case\/\" title=\"NJ Senator's wife denies involvement in bribery case.\">flight risk due<\/a> to\u200d his \u200dlack of immediate \u200cfamily in the United States, limited ties to the country, access to significant funds, and recent\u2064 contact with Russian intelligence officials. They warned that \u2063Smirnov continues to spread misinformation \u200dabout a major U.S. \u200dpolitical \u200dcandidate.<\/p>\n<h3>Judge&#8217;s Striking Order<\/h3>\n<p>In a striking response to Weiss&#8217;s request, Judge Wright \u2063not only ordered the marshals to transport\u2063 Smirnov to Los Angeles for a hearing but also \u200daccused Smirnov \u200band his defense attorneys of\u200c plotting his\u2063 escape. The judge\u200b stated that\u2062 it\u2064 had come to his attention that Smirnov&#8217;s counsel sought an emergency\u2062 hearing in Nevada to \u200darrange his release,\u200c likely with the intention of facilitating his departure from the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Smirnov&#8217;s attorneys did not directly address the accusation \u2062but stated\u200c that they \u2062will continue to fight for their client&#8217;s release.<\/p>\n<h3>Controversial References to Russian\u2064 Intelligence<\/h3>\n<p>Weiss&#8217;s indictment and subsequent court filings aggressively referenced Smirnov&#8217;s\u200b alleged contacts \u2063with Russian intelligence officials. Legal analyst Andy McCarthy criticized these references as\u2064 &#8220;totally gratuitous&#8221; and suggested \u2063that they\u200d were\u2064 a messaging exercise to emphasize\u2064 Russian intelligence involvement. McCarthy also noted that \u2064the \u200dintelligence\u2062 community typically opposes including such details in \u2063DOJ cases.<\/p>\n<p>Russia&#8217;s interference in U.S. politics has long been a\u2064 contentious \u200bissue. Critics of the DOJ pointed out that Christopher \u2062Steele, who compiled an unproven dossier alleging collusion between\u2062 former President \u200bDonald Trump&#8217;s campaign and Russia, was never prosecuted. However, the DOJ did \u2063prosecute Igor Danchenko, a Russian national\u200b who \u2063was a source for\u2063 Steele. Danchenko faced similar charges\u2063 to Smirnov but was not held in custody and was ultimately acquitted in 2022.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">Click here<\/a> to read \u2062more\u2063 from the Washington Examiner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What arguments did\u200b Smirnov&#8217;s defense attorney \u200dpresent\u200c to counter the prosecution&#8217;s concerns?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Mediate family ties in the \u200cUnited States. They pointed out that Smirnov has dual citizenship with Israel and has \u200bpreviously \u200blived in \u2063Russia, making \u2062it easier for him to evade prosecution if he is released. \u2063They also \u200braised concern over his access to large sums of money, as \u2063he has been\u200d involved in various business ventures\u2064 and has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blumenthal-says-theres-a-real-risk-in-pga-and-liv-merger-want-to-get-to-the-bottom-of-it\/\" title=\"Blumenthal warns of 'real risk' in PGA and LIV merger, vows to investigate.\">substantial financial resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In response, Smirnov&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/san-diego-high-school-teacher-arrested-on-sex-charge-remains-in-jail\/\" title=\"San Diego high school teacher arrested for sex charge stays in jail.\">defense\u200c attorney argued<\/a> that his client has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/6-times-a-stronger-civil-society-might-have-prevented-tragedy-in-uvalde\/\" title=\"6 Times A Stronger Civil Society Might Have Prevented Tragedy In Uvalde\">strong community ties<\/a> in\u2063 Nevada,\u2063 including owning \u200ca home and running a successful business. They highlighted that \u2062Smirnov has no criminal record and has cooperated with law enforcement as an informant in the past. The \u2064attorney emphasized that Smirnov is \u200bnot a flight risk\u2063 and would willingly comply with any conditions \u200bset forth by the court.<\/p>\n<h3>Judge&#8217;s Decision<\/h3>\n<p>After\u200d carefully considering the arguments from both\u200b sides, Judge Wright ruled in favor of the prosecution and \u2063ordered that Smirnov be\u2063 transferred to California\u200d for the upcoming hearing. The judge\u200d agreed with the government&#8217;s concerns about Smirnov&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/prosecutors-man-having-sex-with-sister-murders-her-after-she-slept-with-friend\/\" title=\"Prosecutors: Man Having Sex with Sister Murders Her After She Slept with Friend\">potential flight risk<\/a> and concluded that it was necessary to\u2064 keep him in custody until the\u200d determination of his case.<\/p>\n<p>The judge also\u200d acknowledged the seriousness of the charges against Smirnov, stating \u2063that making false \u2063statements to federal investigators undermines the integrity of the justice system. He emphasized the need to ensure that the defendant&#8217;s future \u200bappearances in court \u200care\u200c secured, and that he does not pose a danger to the community or interfere with the ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n<h3>Implications<\/h3>\n<p>This ruling \u2064highlights the importance of ensuring the accountability and credibility of informants in the criminal justice system. While informants can provide valuable information, \u2063their actions\u200b must be scrutinized\u2064 to prevent them from abusing \u2063their position and compromising the integrity of investigations.<\/p>\n<p>The decision also emphasizes the court&#8217;s \u200bresponsibility to balance the defendant&#8217;s rights with the government&#8217;s \u200binterest in\u200b safeguarding the community. In this case, the\u200b judge prioritized the need to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation\u2062 and\u2064 protect against potential\u200c flight risk.<\/p>\n<p>The upcoming hearing in California will provide an opportunity for Smirnov and his defense team to present their case and argue for his release. Until then, Smirnov will remain in custody, awaiting further\u200d proceedings to\u2064 determine his fate.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the judge&#8217;s order to transfer Alexander Smirnov to California for an upcoming hearing reflects the \u200dcourt&#8217;s commitment \u2064to upholding the integrity of the criminal justice system. It highlights the need to carefully evaluate the potential flight risk \u2062and credibility of individuals accused of making false statements to law enforcement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A judge ordered U.S. marshals to transfer Alexander Smirnov, the ex-informant accused of lying to the FBI, to California for a hearing next week. The hearing will determine if Smirnov stays in custody. Smirnov was arrested in Las Vegas on Thursday after being charged by the Department<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":2185379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24052107488192-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2185378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24052107488192-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2185378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2185379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2185378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2185378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2185378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}