Two ex-FBI officials charged with lying to Congress about Hunter Biden

Summarised from 6 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 16:29 · Archive

Two former FBI officials have been charged with lying to Congress about their roles in investigations into Hunter Biden's laptop.

Two former senior FBI officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were charged Friday with lying to Congress about their roles in investigations into Hunter Biden. Both surrendered on arrest warrants and appeared before Washington, D.C. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui. Each faces one count of making false statements to Congress.

Floris, 46, served as Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force from mid-2019 through mid-2022. Benavides, 56, was Section Chief of that task force from mid-2019 through the 2020 election. Both testified to Congress that the task force was not involved in Hunter Biden investigations.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said prosecutors have evidence contradicting their testimony. 'Documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications, and witness accounts contradict their testimony,' according to statements from Pirro and FBI Director Kash Patel. One official allegedly claimed to have learned about the Hunter Biden investigation only from Wikipedia, despite evidence of his involvement in discussing the laptop story with other FBI officials.

Floris is also on record privately claiming to be 'running a shadow government' during the 2020 election in her role on the task force, according to Patel. The charges stem from an investigation into the now-defunct Foreign Influence Task Force, which was intended to prevent foreign actors from influencing the 2020 elections.

The charges are based on transcribed interviews the officials gave to the House Judiciary Committee in July and September 2023. '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,' Pirro said.

Floris's attorneys disputed the allegations, calling them 'nonsense' and stating: 'Nikki Floris is a patriot. She served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years. Yet today, the DOJ has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts.' They added that the timing of the charges, years after the events in question, is suspicious. 'It's no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election,' the lawyers wrote.

How it is being reported

• Fury as ex-FBI officials are hit with criminal case in Hunter Biden laptop saga on eve of midtermsThe former senior FBI officials were charged with lying to Congress about their involvement in the FBI's investigations into Hunter Biden.Daily Mail · 23 Oct, 16:30
• Two ex-FBI officials charged with allegedly lying about Hunter Biden probe: DOJAttorneys for one of the ex-FBI officials slammed the Trump administration for filing the "nonsense charges" just before the midterm election.CNBC · 23 Oct, 16:11
• Ex-FBI officials arrested in Hunter Biden laptop probe as testimony comes under scrutinyTwo former FBI officials face charges for allegedly lying to Congress about their roles in investigating Hunter Biden's laptop and foreign ties.Fox News · 23 Oct, 16:04
• FBI officials who covered up Hunter Biden laptop charged for lying to CongressWASHINGTON — Two ex-FBI officials were charged Friday for lying to Congress that they had little involvement in investigations into Hunter Biden — despite “helping shape the public narrative” around the troubled first son’s laptop, according to federal authorities. The former senior bureau officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, self-surrendered and are facing charges based...New York Post · 23 Oct, 15:58
• Trump DOJ charges ex-FBI officials who briefed Congress on Hunter Biden laptop and election interferenceDonald Trump’s administration has accused two former FBI officials of lying to Congress about the bureau’s involvement with investigations into Hunter Biden, accusations that lawyers are calling “nonsense.”Independent World · 23 Oct, 15:56
• 2 ex-FBI officials charged with lying about Hunter Biden's laptopTwo former FBI agents have each been charged with one count of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden's laptop.CBS News · 23 Oct, 15:45

In this story: Nikki Floris · Bradley Benavides · Jeanine Pirro · Kash Patel · FBI · House Judiciary Committee · Washington, D.C.

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem