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

FBI Hunter Biden Nikki Floris Bradley Benavides Department of Justice

Two former senior FBI officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, have been charged with making false statements to Congress regarding their involvement in investigations into Hunter Biden’s laptop prior to the 2020 election.

Floris and Benavides, both former leaders of the FBI’s now-dissolved Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF), surrendered to authorities and made their first court appearance in Washington, D.C. Prosecutors allege that during 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, the pair falsely denied the task force's involvement in matters related to the Hunter Biden investigation.

The Department of Justice claims to have documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications, and witness accounts that contradict their testimony. Specifically, investigators allege Benavides claimed to have learned of the investigation via Wikipedia despite regular discussions with colleagues, and that Floris routinely discussed the probe within the FITF.

Defense attorneys for both individuals have rejected the charges, describing them as politically motivated and baseless. They noted the timing of the charges, filed shortly before the November 3 midterm elections, as suspicious. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the charges stem from an ongoing investigation into the task force and emphasized that no one is above the law.

Entities

Bradley Benavides · Department of Justice · FBI · Federal Bureau of Investigation · Hunter Biden · Kash Patel · Nikki Floris

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 8 SOURCES] The charges were filed ten days before the November 3 midterm elections. mymotherlode.com · www.kob.com · www.theguardian.com · wyomingtruth.org · javanews.al · +2 more
[● 11 SOURCES] Bradley Benavides allegedly told Congress he learned of the investigation from Wikipedia. www.livenowfox.com · insajder.net · matzav.com · www.polialert.com · news.az · +6 more
[● 14 SOURCES] FBI Director Kash Patel stated that lying to Congress strikes at the heart of the system. offthepress.com · mymotherlode.com · insajder.net · wyomingtruth.org · www.livenowfox.com · +8 more
[● 26 SOURCES] Nikki Floris allegedly testified she was not involved in discussions about Hunter Biden. www.livenowfox.com · insajder.net · matzav.com · offthepress.com · www.polialert.com · +21 more
[● 36 SOURCES] Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides were charged with making false statements to Congress. offthepress.com · mymotherlode.com · www.livenowfox.com · www.kob.com · www.theguardian.com · +30 more
[● 36 SOURCES] The charges involve the investigation of Hunter Biden’s laptop prior to the 2020 election. offthepress.com · mymotherlode.com · www.livenowfox.com · www.kob.com · www.theguardian.com · +30 more
[● 21 SOURCES] Floris’s legal team claims the charges are politically motivated due to the timing of the election. mymotherlode.com · www.kob.com · www.theguardian.com · insajder.net · offthepress.com · +16 more
[● 35 SOURCES] Floris and Benavides were members of the Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF). offthepress.com · www.livenowfox.com · insajder.net · matzav.com · san.com · +29 more