Two Former FBI Officials Charged With Lying to Congress About Hunter Biden Laptop Probe

Two Former FBI Officials Charged With Lying to Congress About Hunter Biden Laptop Probe

Two Former FBI Intelligence Officials Indicted

The Justice Department on Friday brought criminal charges against two former senior FBI intelligence officials, accusing them of making false statements to Congress about their roles on the Foreign Influence Task Force during the 2020 election, specifically regarding the FBI's Hunter Biden investigations. The charged officials are Nikki Cole Floris, 46, and Bradley Benavides, 56. Both surrendered Friday and made their first appearance in federal court in Washington. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the charges in a post on X.

One Claimed to Learn of Probe From Wikipedia

Pirro wrote in her post that one of the officials claimed to have learned about the investigation into former President Joe Biden's son from Wikipedia, even though evidence showed "their" involvement in helping shape the public narrative around the laptop. According to the New York Post, Floris and Benavides allegedly lied to Congress about their roles in the FBI's Hunter Biden investigations, with one claiming they only learned about it from Wikipedia despite evidence showing their involvement in helping shape the public narrative around the laptop. CBS News reported that Pirro said one claimed to have learned about the investigation into former President Joe Biden's son from Wikipedia, even though evidence showed their involvement.

Both Specialized in Foreign Election Interference

Floris and Benavides both served as FBI intelligence officials specializing in foreign election interference. Floris served the nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years and led the Foreign Influence Task Force. The Washington Examiner reported that Nikki Cole Floris, 46, and Bradley Benavides, 56, were taken into custody as part of a Justice Department probe into their work on the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force during the 2020 election. Floris had previously drawn attention for a "shadow government" remark, in which she said she was "basically running a shadow government inside the FBI right now" while working to suppress an intelligence report on foreign election interference.

Lawyers Call Charges "Nonsense"

Floris's attorneys described the charges as "nonsense" in a statement, calling her "a patriot" who "served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years." They said the Justice Department had "accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts." Her lawyers added that it was "no coincidence" the government filed these charges years later, on the eve of an election, calling it the latest in a series of splashy and politically charged investigative actions the Justice Department has undertaken. The case was filed 10 days before the Nov. 3 elections.

Politically Charged Investigation Background

CNN first reported that two former FBI officials were facing charges for allegedly lying to Congress as part of a probe that focused on whether FBI investigators sought to minimize allegations of Biden family corruption and evidence of Hunter Biden's laptop. Trump and Republicans have accused investigators of mishandling the Hunter Biden case. In October 2020, 51 former senior intelligence officials signed an open letter stating that Hunter Biden's laptop "has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation." Hunter Biden was ultimately convicted of federal tax and gun charges and then pardoned by his father around Thanksgiving in 2024. Pirro's office emphasized that the charges concern the officials' roles on the Foreign Influence Task Force during the 2020 election.

Surrendered and Arraigned Days Before Election

Floris and Benavides have surrendered and made their first appearance in federal court in Washington. The case will proceed through the federal court system, where both will face trial on the false statements charges. Floris's lawyers have signaled they will contest the charges. The timing of the case—filed just 10 days before the Nov. 3 elections—has drawn criticism regarding prosecutorial timing. The Justice Department has not responded to the lawyers' statements. The outcome of the proceedings will determine whether the two former officials are ultimately convicted.