Former FBI officials charged with lying to Congress over Hunter Biden probe

The Department of Justice on Friday accused two former FBI officials of lying to lawmakers in connection with FBI investigations of Hunter Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden. Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides were charged with making false statements to Congress about their involvement with the since-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force. Floris led the task force as a deputy assistant director from 2019 to 2022, and Benavides was the task force’s section chief from 2019 to 2020.

Federal investigations of Hunter Biden and his laptop eventually led to charges and convictions on gun and tax related crimes. But President Joe Biden pardoned Hunter as he left office.

What are the former FBI officials accused of? In 2023, both testified that the Foreign Influence Task Force was not involved in the Hunter Biden investigations. For example, Floris told the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee that she was involved in no discussions about Hunter Biden while she was at the task force. Benavides testified that he knew the FBI had access to Hunter Biden’s laptop only from reading a Wikipedia article in 2023, and did not have prior knowledge.

What doesn’t add up? Documentary evidence and witness accounts contradict the agents’ congressional testimony, the Justice Department said. The agency said evidence shows that Floris discussed the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden routinely for more than a year both within the task force and with others in the FBI. Contrary to his assertion that he learned of the Hunter Biden laptop from Wikipedia, Benavides regularly discussed the laptop with FBI officials in the leadup to the 2020 election, according to the DOJ.

FBI Director Kash Patel claimed on Friday that Floris is also on record privately claiming to be running a shadow government during the 2020 election in her role on the task force.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said that lying to Congress strikes at the heart of the democratic system and insisted that FBI agents are not above the law. Floris and Benavides are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.