FBI Director Kash Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the bureau has no record of thoroughly investigating corruption allegations involving the Biden family in Ukraine, despite receiving reports from three separate confidential human sources.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., released two newly obtained FBI FD-1023 forms detailing the sources’ claims, which align with a third 1023 memo Grassley disclosed in 2023. Grassley pressed Patel at a September hearing on why the FBI never appeared to follow up.
“To date, the FBI has never answered Congress whether they investigated the text messages, audio files, and financial records referenced in that 1023,” Grassley said. Patel responded, “Not to my knowledge, Mr. Chairman.”
The memos focus on Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian energy company whose founder, Mykola Zlochevsky, was under investigation in Ukraine while Hunter Biden served on its board. One source alleged that Burisma laundered payments through shell companies in Latvia tied to Joe and Hunter Biden. Another said Joe Biden, as vice president, met with then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to shield Burisma and his son’s position there.
These reports echoed earlier claims by FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, who alleged that Zlochevsky paid $10 million to the Bidens to protect Burisma. Smirnov later admitted he fabricated much of his story and pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and tax offenses.
Grassley stressed that Congress is not asserting the allegations are true but wants to know why the FBI appeared not to investigate. He also noted that other whistleblowers have alleged political interference in probes tied to Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
You can read both memos released by Grassley here.
