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Politics · October 23, 2026

Ex-FBI officials charged with lying to Congress about Hunter Biden probe

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Two former senior FBI officials, Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides, were charged with making false statements to Congress regarding their involvement in investigations into Hunter Biden's laptop. The charges stem from 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee about their roles in the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) during the 2020 election. Prosecutors allege the pair sought to conceal the task force's engagement with the Biden probe to impede congressional oversight. Both individuals surrendered to authorities following the filing of a criminal complaint by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.

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Reported across the spectrum

  • Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides are former senior FBI officials.
  • Both were charged with one count of making false statements to Congress.
  • The charges relate to 2023 testimony regarding the Hunter Biden laptop investigation.
  • The officials were members of the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF).
  • Both individuals surrendered to federal authorities on October 23, 2026.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Kash Patel is identified as the current FBI Director in some reports.
  • The charges were filed less than two weeks before the November 3 midterm elections.
  • Floris was a Deputy Assistant Director and Benavides was a Section Chief at the FITF.
  • The FBI Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) has been dissolved.
  • Floris and Benavides allegedly testified that the FITF was not involved in the Hunter Biden investigations.

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