Two former FBI employees charged with false statements to Congress over Hunter Biden investigations

The Justice Department has filed criminal complaints against two former Federal Bureau of Investigation employees, Bradley Benavides, 56, and Nikki Floris, 46, accusing them of making false statements to Congress about their roles in the agency’s investigations into Hunter Biden. The charges stem from testimony the pair gave to lawmakers in 2023 and each faces a single count. Because the case was brought by complaint, a grand jury indictment has not yet been issued.

According to a statement posted on X, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the defendants "allegedly lied to Congress about their roles in the FBI's Hunter Biden investigations, with one claiming they only learned about it from Wikipedia — despite evidence showing their involvement in helping shape the public narrative about Hunter Biden's laptop right before the election."

Benavides and Floris appeared before Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Friday. The judge noted that both defendants have long careers in federal law enforcement and described the use of a criminal complaint for conduct that occurred several years ago as unusual. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the following Tuesday.

The case revisits the controversy surrounding a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden that was reported by The New York Post in the weeks before the 2020 presidential election. Republicans have claimed the FBI mishandled the laptop and related investigations. Hunter Biden has been convicted of federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to separate tax offenses, but no evidence has been presented that former President Joe Biden financially benefited from his son’s business activities.