By
To the extent that there were still any doubts about the absurdity of the Republicans’ impeachment crusade, those questions were answered last week. The GOP’s star witness — the man at the heart of the party’s case against President Joe Biden — was arrested for lying to the FBI about the Bidens. Soon after, the public learned that the same witness, Alexander Smirnov, according to a Trump-appointed prosecutor, peddled false claims he received from foreign intelligence officials, including lies from Russia.
This led to a new round of calls for Republicans to simply bring their debacle to a close. As Newsweek noted, Sen. Ron Johnson apparently doesn’t quite see it that way.
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson has said Alexander Smirnov, the former FBI informant charged with falsely stating that President Joe Biden and his son accepted a bribe, is “innocent until proven guilty.”
In other words, Johnson isn’t prepared to give up on the witness just yet. Even House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan conceded late last week that the informant’s allegations no longer appear credible, but the Wisconsin senator is clinging to his hopes anyway.
During his latest Newsmax appearance, Johnson went on to raise doubts about the case against Smirnov. “Is this a corrupt investigation, a corrupt prosecution? I have no idea,” he said.
So, a few things.
First, it’s obviously true that the presumption of innocence is a bedrock principle of the American justice system. That said, it’s worth noting for context that in this case, according to prosecutors, Smirnov “admitted that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved” in peddling a story about Hunter Biden.
Second, Johnson, the former chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, may have doubts about the integrity of the law enforcement investigation and prosecution, but let’s not forget that the case against Smirnov was brought by special counsel David Weiss — a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor.
But just as notable is the question of credibility. As Johnson takes steps to defend his party’s star witness, despite his interactions with officials associated with Russian intelligence, I’m reminded of a variety of related revelations from the senator’s recent past.
It was just a couple of weeks ago, for example, when Johnson denounced U.S. aid to Ukraine, criticized U.S. sanctions against Russia, and expressed agreement with Vladimir Putin’s recent rhetoric.
Years earlier, Johnson conceded that he received an FBI briefing, warning the senator that he was a target of Russian disinformation.
Before that, U.S. intelligence officials warned senators and their aides that Russia was engaged in a campaign “to essentially frame" Ukraine for Russia’s 2016 election attack. Soon after, Johnson nevertheless appeared to endorse Russia’s line.
A year earlier, Johnson was part of a Senate delegation that spent the 4th of July in Moscow. Upon his return, the Wisconsin Republican questioned the utility of U.S. sanctions against Russia.
To be sure, the GOP senator has also publicly criticized Putin and his regime, but as Johnson suggests his party’s anti-Biden witness might still be credible, even after Smirnov acknowledged his interactions with officials associated with Russian intelligence, the totality of the Republican’s record appears relevant.