Hunter Biden intends to sue Fox News over its airing of bribery allegations against him that are rooted in claims from a discredited Russian agent, NBC News reported Monday.
President Joe Biden's son has been a fixture at the right-wing media outlet, where on-air personalities have regaled viewers with tales of Hunter's past drug addiction and forays with sex workers. It has also aired claims, from Republican lawmakers and others, that Hunter's business dealings in Ukraine -- where he sat on the board of a state oil company -- benefited his father.
The arrest of an FBI informant appeared to show that the corruption claims against Hunter Biden are rooted in Russian disinformation. In February, special counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Biden and charged him with gun and tax crimes, revealed in a charging document that the informant, Alexander Smirnov, had "admitted that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story about [Hunter Biden]."
Republican lawmakers who are seeking to impeach President Biden had earlier latched on to those claims, with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., characterizing them as "highly credible" disclosures from an FBI "whistleblower." That came after Republicans pushed the FBI to make available an internal document detailing Smirnov's unverified allegations.
Mark Geragos, a lawyer for Hunter Biden, said Republicans' reliance on Smirnov -- and Fox News' amplification of their false claims -- demands corrective action.
“For the last five years, Fox News has relentlessly attacked Hunter Biden and made him a caricature in order to boost ratings and for its financial gain," Geragos said in a statement. "The recent indictment of FBI informant Smirnov has exposed the conspiracy of disinformation that has been fueled by Fox, enabled by their paid agents and monetized by the Fox enterprise. We plan on holding them accountable.”
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