Doj Charges 2 Former Fbi Officials With Lying To Congress Over Hunter Biden Probe

The Department of Justice charged two former FBI officials this week, alleging they lied to Congress in 2023 about the bureau’s probe into Hunter Biden, including its handling of his laptop in the run-up to the 2020 election.

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who worked on the FBI’s now-dissolved Foreign Influence Task Force, each face one count of making a false statement to Congress.

Federal prosecutors said the two denied their knowledge of and participation in discussions about the Hunter Biden investigations when testifying before the House Judiciary Committee in 2023, but internal communications, records and testimony from their FBI colleagues show otherwise.

Floris held a senior role at the agency for the 2020 election, which Trump has falsely claimed was stolen from him and has fixated on since his return to the White House.

Floris has denied the charge. Her attorneys called her a “patriot” and “dedicated FBI intelligence officer” in a statement Friday.

“It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election,” the statement said. “The government’s reasons for charging Nikki are as transparent as they are unjust: to push a false narrative for a shot at political points.”

Floris faced a wave of criticism from Republicans after Trump declassified documents related to the 2020 election in July. In one of the messages released, she made reference to running a “shadow government” when discussing intelligence.

An attorney for Benavides did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Weaponization will never be tolerated at this FBI. We have already dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad that engaged in political weaponization targeting their opponents, including President Trump — and anyone who abuses their position of public trust will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel in a statement, referring to a separate FBI public corruption squad that helped investigate Trump and that Patel shut down last year.

Federal prosecutors said Floris testified that she was not involved in the Hunter Biden investigation and had no personal knowledge of him being discussed at the task force. But they allege she participated in briefings and exchanged messages that concern updates on the investigation, including about Hunter Biden’s laptop, according to a court document unsealed Friday.

Prosecutors also allege Benavides lied about his participation in meetings about the Hunter Biden investigation and his knowledge about the laptop. Benavides said in his 2023 testimony that he learned about the FBI's possession of the laptop from Wikipedia while preparing for the testimony.

“Lying to Congress by anyone strikes at the heart of our democratic system but when senior FBI agents lie to Congress believing they are above the law, it’s time to bring the hammer of justice down on them,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro in a statement.

Floris and Benavides surrendered to authorities and appeared in a federal court in Washington on Friday. They are due back in court Tuesday.

The charges come amid a broader push by the FBI under Patel to revisit how the bureau handled allegations involving Hunter Biden and his father, former President Joe Biden, ahead of the 2020 election.

The FBI is investigating whether the Foreign Influence Task Force, which was axed by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi last year, improperly sought to discredit information about Hunter Biden as Russian disinformation.

Hunter Biden was convicted on federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to federal tax charges in 2024, before receiving a pardon from his father later that year.