Two former senior FBI officials surrendered Friday on charges that they lied to Congress about their part in the bureau’s investigations of Hunter Biden, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington said.
Nikki Cole Floris, 46, of Alexandria, Virginia, and Bradley Benavides, 56, of Aiken, South Carolina, each face one count of making false statements to Congress, according to the Justice Department announcement. Fox News and the New York Post also reported the arrests.
What prosecutors allege
Both worked on the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which led the bureau’s work against foreign interference in the 2020 election. The task force has since been dissolved.
- Their roles: Floris led the task force as a deputy assistant director from mid-2019 to mid-2022. Benavides was its section chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election.
- The testimony: The House Judiciary Committee interviewed both in 2023. Prosecutors say both told the committee the task force had no role in the Hunter Biden investigations.
- The laptop claim: Benavides testified he learned the FBI had Hunter Biden’s laptop from a Wikipedia article in 2023. Prosecutors say he discussed the laptop with FBI officials before the 2020 election.
- The evidence: An affidavit filed with the complaint cites documents, messages from the time and witness accounts that prosecutors say contradict the testimony.
What officials said
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said senior officials who “choose deception over duty” undermine the institutions they serve. Attorney General Todd Blanche said federal officials “cannot lie to Congress and get away with it.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said one of the two had privately claimed to be “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election. The Justice Department release did not say which defendant he meant.
What comes next
The charges were filed by criminal complaint, not a grand jury indictment. The case stems from an ongoing investigation of the former task force. A complaint is only an allegation, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The case is the latest federal prosecution announced this week. Read more in iSEARK.com’s report on the Virginia state senator indicted Thursday.
Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Fox News; New York Post.
