The Justice Department has charged two former senior FBI officials with making false statements to Congress regarding the bureau’s investigation into a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden. Bradley Benavides, 56, and Nikki Floris, 46, were charged by criminal complaint and appeared in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. The charges stem from testimony the pair provided to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023.
The investigations into Hunter Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden, centered on a laptop reported to have been abandoned at a Delaware repair shop in 2019. Republicans have long criticized the FBI's handling of the device and subsequent inquiries. Hunter Biden was eventually convicted on federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax offenses before receiving a full pardon from his father in December 2024.
According to the criminal complaint, Floris and Benavides allegedly lied about the role of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force in the Hunter Biden inquiries. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that one official claimed to have learned about the investigation through Wikipedia, while evidence allegedly showed their involvement in helping shape the public narrative about the laptop before the 2020 election. Specifically, the complaint alleges Floris falsely claimed she took part in no discussions about Hunter Biden, while Benavides allegedly claimed he was unaware the FBI possessed the laptop until 2023.
Benavides served as a section chief and later deputy assistant director at the Counterintelligence Division, while Floris was an intelligence analyst in charge and deputy assistant director who led the Foreign Influence Task Force from 2019 to 2022. The legal proceedings could result in criminal records and prison time if they are convicted of the single felony count each faces.
The scale of the case involves two defendants whose testimony in July and September 2023 is now being scrutinized against FBI records and communications. The case highlights the legal risks for officials providing sworn testimony to Congress. Statements made during congressional oversight hearings can lead to criminal charges if investigators find they contradict internal government records.
The prosecution follows allegations of false statements by the former officials. Defense attorneys and Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui described the timing and method of the charges—using a criminal complaint rather than a grand jury indictment for three-year-old conduct—as "highly unusual" and "strange." The proceedings continue with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, where a judge will determine if there is adequate probable cause to move forward with the case.