On Friday, two former senior officials from the FBI turned themselves in to federal authorities in response to charges that they provided false information to Congress regarding their involvement in investigations related to Hunter Biden.
Nikki Floris, 46, from Alexandria, Virginia, and Bradley Benavides, 56, from Aiken, South Carolina, are facing a single count each for allegedly making misleading statements to lawmakers, as stated in a criminal complaint filed on October 20 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The two previously managed the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which was established to protect the 2020 election from foreign interference but was disbanded in February 2025, according to reports.
Prosecutors allege that Benavides claimed he first discovered information about Hunter Biden’s laptop from a Wikipedia page while preparing for a 2023 interview. Internal documentation, however, suggests a different narrative. Emails reveal that he was discussing the laptop with FBI colleagues in the weeks leading up to the election. Floris, on the other hand, stated that the task force never deliberated on the matter concerning the president’s son, despite communications over the course of a year indicating her involvement in discussions about it.
Two former senior FBI officials, Nikki Cole Floris, 46, and Bradley Benavides, 56, surrendered today on arrest warrants issued after a criminal complaint charged them with lying to Congress about their involvement in the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden, announced @USAttyPirro. The charges stem from an ongoing investigation into the since-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force. Evidence shows that Floris discussed the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden routinely for more than a year both within the FITF 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. https://t.co/PqXXBuuZMa
— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) October 23, 2026
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro was firm in her statement. “When anyone lies to Congress, it undermines the very foundation of our democracy. But when senior FBI agents do so, thinking they can evade accountability, it’s crucial to take strong action,” she noted in the announcement from the Department of Justice.
This morning, two former senior FBI officials, Nikki Floris, 46, and Bradley Benavides, 56, surrendered on arrest warrants after being charged with lying to Congress about their roles on the Foreign Influence Task Force during the 2020 election. Floris and Benavides 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. 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. 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.
— US Attorney Pirro (@USAttyPirro) October 23, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned that one of the individuals had even privately referred to “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election period.
Two former senior FBI officials, Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides, were taken into custody today on charges of allegedly lying to Congress about their involvement in the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden. The charges stem from an ongoing investigation into the since-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force. Floris led the FITF as a Deputy Assistant Director from mid-2019 through mid-2022. Benavides was the FITF Section Chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election. Both testified that the FITF was not involved in the Hunter Biden investigations. Documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications, and witness accounts contradict their testimony. Floris is also on record privately claiming to be “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election in her role on the FITF. Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law. The FBI has already dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad that engaged in political weaponization targeting their opponents, including President Trump. Thanks to @TheJusticeDept @FBIKansasCity and @USAttyPirro. -DKP🇺🇸
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) October 23, 2026
Floris’s legal team has outright dismissed the charges. They asserted, “Nikki Floris is a patriot who dedicated nearly 20 years to serving this nation as an FBI intelligence officer. It’s important to note that the DOJ has falsely accused her of wrongdoing based on the claims of politicians, rather than on facts. Notably, these charges have come to light just as we approach another election,” they stated in a response to Fox News.
After appearing in federal court in Washington following their surrender, both defendants sought a quick hearing to challenge the accusations, as reported by the Associated Press.
The charges are connected to testimony they provided to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 as part of an investigation into how the FBI managed the Hunter Biden case, according to the complaint.
Earlier, Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson had accused these officials of using a 2020 briefing on Russian disinformation to pivot away from a genuine inquiry into the Biden family’s overseas business operations, as noted in reports. Furthermore, it was revealed that the FBI acknowledged the laptop’s authenticity during Hunter Biden’s 2024 federal gun trial.
