Article By David Lindfield
The Justice Department charged two former senior FBI officials with lying to Congress about their involvement in investigations into Hunter Biden, alleging that internal emails contradict their sworn accounts.
Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides, who held leadership positions on the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, surrendered Friday on arrest warrants, according to the department.
Prosecutors say the officials denied involvement in matters concerning former President Joe Biden’s son despite records showing discussions with colleagues about Hunter Biden and his laptop.
“Lying to Congress by anyone strikes at the heart of our democratic system, but when senior FBI agents lie to Congress believing they are above the law, it’s time to bring the hammer of justice down on them,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.
“When senior officials entrusted with safeguarding our nation’s security choose deception over duty, they undermine the very institutions they swore to uphold.
“Today’s action makes clear that no one is above the law, and we will hold accountable all who obstruct the truth,” Pirro added.
Floris and Benavides each were charged with making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). The charges stem from an ongoing investigation into the since-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force, or FITF, which led the FBI’s efforts to secure the 2020 election from foreign malign influence. 🔗: https://t.co/Ko1nNjgoPD
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) October 23, 2026
DOJ Says Emails Contradict Congressional Testimony
A Justice Department statement of facts cites Floris’s 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, during which she denied involvement in the Hunter Biden investigation.
Prosecutors say she also denied that Hunter Biden had been discussed within the Foreign Influence Task Force.
The department points to email logs that it says contradict those denials by documenting discussions about Biden with FBI colleagues.
Benavides told lawmakers he learned about the criminal investigation connected to the laptop by reading Wikipedia, according to the DOJ.
But prosecutors say emails show he communicated with the team investigating Hunter Biden and met with investigators before a meeting with lawmakers.
Floris served as the task force’s deputy assistant director and functional head.
Benavides was its section chief.
The charges remain allegations, and neither former official has been convicted.
Patel Cites “Shadow Government” Remark
FBI Director Kash Patel linked the case to his pledge to confront the bureau’s political weaponization.
“This morning the FBI arrested two former FBI members of the now dissolved Foreign Influence Task Force, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, both of whom allegedly lied to Congress in 2023 on matters regarding investigations related to the 2020 election,” Patel said.
Patel also said one of the defendants had privately described operating a “shadow government” during the election.
“One of these individuals is on record privately claiming to be ‘running a shadow government’ during the 2020 election,” Patel said.
“As we’ve said repeatedly: weaponization will never be tolerated at this FBI.”
The charges bring fresh scrutiny to a task force already challenged over its handling of information concerning Hunter Biden before the 2020 election.
Senators Previously Challenged FBI Briefing
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) previously accused Floris and Benavides of participating in a 2020 briefing on Russian disinformation intended to undermine their investigation into Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.
Those accusations came amid efforts to portray the laptop as part of a Russian disinformation operation before the election.
The FBI later authenticated the laptop during Hunter Biden’s 2024 federal gun trial, when prosecutors introduced it as evidence.
Floris’s Attorneys Reject Charges
Floris’s attorneys denied wrongdoing and accused the Justice Department of bringing a politically timed case.
“Nikki Floris is a patriot,” her attorneys claimed in a statement.
“She served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years.
“Yet today, the DOJ has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts.
“It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election.”
The prosecution now centers on a concrete question: whether the officials’ own emails establish that they concealed their involvement from Congress.
The Justice Department says those records contradict their testimony and is seeking to hold both former FBI leaders criminally accountable.
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