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Politics · October 23, 2026

2 ex-FBI officials charged with making false statements about Hunter Biden's laptop

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Former senior FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides surrendered to federal authorities on Friday after being charged with making false statements to Congress. The charges involve their 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee concerning the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) and its activities during the 2020 election cycle, specifically regarding investigations into Hunter Biden's laptop. Prosecutors allege the pair attempted to conceal the task force's engagement with those probes, while defense attorneys argue the charges are factually baseless and politically motivated.

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Reported across the spectrum

  • Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides are each facing one count of making false statements to Congress.
  • The officials were senior members of the FBI’s now-dissolved Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF).
  • The charges relate to 2023 testimony regarding the FBI's handling of the Hunter Biden laptop investigation during the 2020 election.
  • The defendants surrendered to authorities on Friday and appeared in federal court in Washington, D.C.
  • The investigation focused on whether the officials sought to minimize or conceal the FITF's involvement in the Hunter Biden investigations.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Nikki Floris allegedly claimed she only learned about the Hunter Biden investigation from Wikipedia.
  • Floris once reportedly claimed she was 'running a shadow government' during her role at the FITF.
  • Benavides was the former deputy assistant director at the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.
  • The charges were announced by FBI Director Kash Patel.
  • Defense attorneys noted the charges come years after the testimony and on the 'eve of an election.'
  • Charging documents allege the officials participated in classified briefings about information uncovered by Senators Ron Johnson and Chuck Grassley.

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