Former FBI Officials Charged With Lying to Congress in Hunter Biden Laptop Investigation

The US government established the Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) during the first term of then-President Donald Trump to monitor foreign interference in US elections. In October 2020, the FBI seized a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden from a Delaware computer repair shop. Some intelligence officials initially suggested the device might be Russian disinformation. The FBI later verified the authenticity of the laptop's contents. After the 2020 election, Republican lawmakers investigated the Federal Bureau of Investigation's handling of the evidence. These lawmakers questioned whether the FBI sought to suppress allegations of corruption. The FBI disbanded the FITF in January 2025.

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides oversaw operations during their tenure at the FITF. The FITF managed the "Round River" project to scrutinize informant reporting on Hunter Biden. Both officials testified to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 regarding their involvement in these investigations. Prosecutors now allege that the testimony provided by Floris and Benavides was materially false.

1. Federal prosecutors allege that Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides provided false statements to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023. The criminal complaint states that Floris gave false testimony on July 19, 2023. It asserts that Benavides provided false statements in September 2023.

2. An FBI special agent's affidavit alleges that two officials participated in federal investigations of Hunter Biden beginning in 2019. Prosecutors claim that statements Floris and Benavides made to Congress contradicted internal messages from 2019. The government relies on these records to examine their conduct while they oversaw the "Foreign Influence Task Force."

3. FBI Director Kash Patel stated in a post that Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who were members of the Foreign Influence Task Force in 2019 and 2020, were taken into custody on Friday.

1. Lawyers for the accused officials argue the charges are politically motivated. They point to the filing date shortly before the November 3, 2026, midterm elections. The indictment arrived less than two weeks before voters head to the polls. Defense lawyers accused the Department of Justice of filing the charges to revive the salacious saga just days before the November 3 midterm vote.

2. The New York Times reported that the charges are part of an administration effort to target personnel who questioned claims regarding Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s business dealings in Ukraine. This perspective frames the legal action as a continuation of broader political disputes regarding the FBI's internal investigations.

3. As reported by CBS News, Floris and Benavides provided two separate defensive briefings to Senator Charles Grassley and Senator Ron Johnson on August 6, 2020, regarding potential Russian disinformation.