Russia Intercepts U.S. Phone Calls in Bid to Influence 2024 Election

Russia has intercepted the phone calls of several prominent Americans and could use the information as kompromat, or blackmail, during the upcoming presidential election, according to a Department of Justice court memo citing former FBI contact Alexander Smirnov as its source. The Context On Tuesday the Justice Department filed a court memo in support of its case against Smirnov, who has been charged with lying to the FBI and faking records regarding the Bidens' business activities in Ukraine. This comes as a blow to Republican efforts to impeach President Biden as Smirnov's allegation that he and his son Hunter Biden received "$5 million each" from Ukrainian energy company Burisma in exchange for political favors formed a major part of their case against him. What We Know The court filing recounts a report Smirnov gave his handler after meeting 'Russian Official 1,' an unnamed individual described as the person "who controls groups that are engaged in overseas assassination efforts." Based on conversations with Smirnov, the court filing states: "During this meeting with Russian Official 1, Russian Official 1 claimed that another individual, Russian Official 4, the head of a particular unit of a Russian Intelligence Service, ran an intelligence operation at a "club" located at a particular hotel. "Smirnov told the FBI Handler that the Russian Intelligence Service intercepted cell phone calls made by guests at the hotel. The Russian Intelligence Service intercepted several calls placed by prominent U.S. persons the Russian government may use as 'kompromat' in the 2024 election, depending on who the candidates will be. "This story...which again was relayed by Smirnov to his Handler in/about December, 2023, appears to mirror the story that Smirnov was pushing on investigators and prosecutors during their meeting with him in September, 2023." According to the Justice Department court filing Smirnov had "extensive and extremely recent" contact with "officials affiliated with Russian intelligence." If further alleged he was involved in efforts "to spread misinformation about a candidate of one of the two major parties in the United States" ahead of the November election. Views The court filing sparked outrage with a number of liberals and Democratic supporters urging Republican House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, who is leading the investigation into the Biden's, to resign. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Democratic-supporting political strategist Simon Rosenberg wrote: "Calls for Comer to resign should be cascading across the country tomorrow. He has betrayed the country." Newsweek reached out to the offices of Comer and Rep. Jim Jordan, the GOP chair of the House Judiciary Committee who is also involved in investigating the Biden's, for comment by email outside of usual business hours. This article will be updated if either wishes to comment. What's Next? The Justice Department court filing in Smirnov's case is a major blow to GOP efforts to impeach Biden in the house which the president, who strongly denies any wrongdoing, has always dismissed as a "baseless political stunt." Speaking in December Rep. Jordan described the Burisma allegations as "the key thing" in the allegations against Biden. Even if Biden was impeached by the Republican-controlled House he would almost certainly be acquitted by the Senate, where Democratic-affiliated senators have wafer thin majority.