Two Former FBI Officials Charged With Lying to Congress About Hunter Biden Laptop Investigation
Two former senior FBI officials have been criminally charged with lying to Congress about their involvement in investigations surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop, marking a significant development in the Justice Department’s examination of the bureau’s handling of the controversy before the 2020 presidential election.
Nikki Cole Floris, 46, and Bradley Benavides, 56, surrendered to federal authorities Friday after prosecutors filed criminal complaints accusing them of making false statements during interviews with the House Judiciary Committee in 2023.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and FBI Director Kash Patel, who accused the former officials of misleading congressional investigators about their knowledge of the laptop and their involvement in the FBI’s response to reports concerning Hunter Biden.
Both defendants previously held senior positions within the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which was responsible for investigating foreign interference in American elections.
Floris served as the task force’s deputy assistant director from 2019 through 2022, while Benavides served as its section chief during the period leading up to the 2020 election.
Federal prosecutors allege that both officials attempted to conceal the task force’s involvement in matters related to Hunter Biden despite extensive internal communications demonstrating otherwise.
The investigation centers on testimony the two officials provided to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in July and September 2023.
During her July 19 interview, Floris was asked whether she had participated in the FBI’s investigation involving Hunter Biden.
“I did not,” she responded.
When questioned about whether the Foreign Influence Task Force had discussed Hunter Biden, Floris denied personally participating in such conversations.
She also told congressional investigators that she had no knowledge of Hunter Biden’s laptop.
According to federal prosecutors, those statements are contradicted by emails, instant messages, briefings and witness accounts showing that Floris regularly communicated about the Hunter Biden investigations.
Investigators allege that she participated in discussions about the laptop and helped coordinate the FBI’s response to news coverage surrounding its contents.
The Justice Department maintains that these communications demonstrate a level of involvement substantially different from what Floris acknowledged during her congressional testimony.
Benavides faces similar allegations involving statements he made during a September 28, 2023, interview.
When asked whether he knew about the FBI’s investigation into Hunter Biden’s laptop while serving at the bureau, Benavides answered no.
He also claimed that he learned the FBI possessed the laptop after reading about it on Wikipedia in 2023.
Federal investigators allege that the claim was false.
According to the criminal complaint, Benavides had discussed the laptop with other FBI officials before the 2020 presidential election and participated in communications concerning the bureau’s response to media inquiries.
One October 16, 2020, email cited by prosecutors shows Benavides discussing how the FBI should respond to questions about whether the laptop was connected to Russian disinformation.
The exchange occurred just two days after the New York Post published its original report detailing emails recovered from Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop.
Benavides circulated proposed language acknowledging that readers might suspect a Russian disinformation operation while emphasizing that the FBI had not reached such a conclusion.
He then asked Floris for her assessment.
“Looks good!” Floris responded.
Prosecutors cited the exchange as evidence that both officials were involved in discussions concerning the laptop at a time when the story was receiving national attention.
The criminal complaint also references a working group known as Round River, which reportedly involved personnel examining Hunter Biden investigations and potential foreign disinformation.
A current FBI employee told investigators earlier this month that both Floris and Benavides participated in the group.
That account, combined with documentary evidence, forms part of the government’s case that the former officials misrepresented their activities to Congress.
Pirro delivered a forceful response to the charges, emphasizing that senior federal law enforcement officials have a responsibility to provide truthful information during congressional investigations.
“Lying to Congress by anyone strikes at the heart of our democratic system,” Pirro said.
She added that when senior FBI personnel deliberately mislead lawmakers, they undermine the institutions they were entrusted to protect.
The U.S. attorney said the Justice Department intends to pursue accountability for officials who obstruct congressional efforts to establish the facts.
Patel similarly accused the defendants of concealing their involvement in the bureau’s handling of the Hunter Biden investigations.
The FBI director said internal records and witness testimony contradict the accounts Floris and Benavides provided to lawmakers.
Patel also revealed that Floris had privately described herself as “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election while working on the Foreign Influence Task Force.
The director did not provide additional context for the remark in his public announcement.
Patel has made reviewing allegations of political bias and misconduct within the FBI a priority since taking office under President Trump.
The Foreign Influence Task Force was disbanded in February 2025 as part of changes implemented during the administration’s restructuring of the bureau.
The unit had originally been established to investigate foreign efforts to influence American elections, including activities linked to Russia and other hostile governments.
Its handling of information involving Hunter Biden became a source of controversy following the 2020 election.
The FBI obtained Hunter Biden’s laptop in December 2019, months before its contents became the subject of national media coverage.
In October 2020, the New York Post published emails from the device concerning Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.
The revelations prompted questions about the business relationships involving the son of then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.
The story also generated controversy after social media companies restricted its distribution and numerous former intelligence officials suggested the material had characteristics associated with a Russian information operation.
Subsequent investigations and forensic examinations supported the authenticity of significant portions of the laptop’s contents.
Republican lawmakers have long questioned whether federal law enforcement officials improperly influenced the public discussion surrounding the laptop during the closing weeks of the 2020 election.
The newly announced charges focus specifically on whether Floris and Benavides lied about their knowledge and activities when questioned by Congress.
They do not independently establish that the FBI orchestrated a deliberate effort to suppress the laptop story or influence the election.
The prosecution nevertheless represents a significant development in the Justice Department’s examination of the bureau’s internal handling of politically sensitive investigations.
Hunter Biden later faced separate federal prosecutions involving firearms and tax offenses.
He was convicted on federal gun charges in June 2024 and pleaded guilty to federal tax charges that September.
Joe Biden subsequently issued a sweeping pardon to his son in December 2024, despite previously indicating that he would not intervene in the criminal proceedings.
The pardon covered federal offenses Hunter Biden committed or may have committed during a period extending from January 2014 through December 2024.
The decision renewed Republican criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of investigations involving the president’s family.
Friday’s charges against Floris and Benavides concern a different legal issue: whether former FBI officials knowingly provided false information to congressional investigators examining the bureau’s conduct.
Each defendant faces one count of making a materially false statement within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch, in violation of federal law.
Both appeared in federal court in Washington on Friday.
Their attorneys rejected the allegations and accused the Justice Department of pursuing a politically motivated prosecution.
Floris’ legal team described her as a dedicated intelligence professional who served the country for nearly two decades.
Her attorneys argued that the government had brought unsupported allegations based on political considerations rather than evidence.
Benavides’ attorneys similarly rejected the charges, calling them baseless.
During the court proceedings, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui questioned the delay between the 2023 congressional testimony and the filing of charges in October 2026.
The judge also noted that prosecutors had proceeded through criminal complaints rather than first obtaining grand jury indictments.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, giving the defendants an opportunity to challenge the government’s evidence.
The Justice Department must still establish that the disputed statements were knowingly false and material to the congressional investigation.
Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The charges arrive less than two weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, bringing renewed attention to longstanding disputes over the FBI’s conduct during the 2020 presidential campaign.
For President Trump’s administration, the prosecution marks another step in its examination of federal law enforcement activities that Republican lawmakers have questioned for years.
Patel has repeatedly pledged to investigate misconduct within the bureau and pursue accountability when evidence supports criminal charges.
The criminal complaints against Floris and Benavides now place those allegations before a federal court, where prosecutors will be required to substantiate their claims.
The case could also provide additional insight into internal FBI communications concerning Hunter Biden’s laptop and the bureau’s interactions with congressional investigators.
For now, the Justice Department maintains that documentary evidence and witness testimony contradict what the former officials told Congress.
Whether those discrepancies amount to criminal false statements will be determined through the federal judicial process.