Two former senior FBI officials have been charged with making false statements to Congress concerning their involvement in investigations linked to Hunter Biden, the son of former US President Joe Biden.
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced on Friday that Nikki Cole Floris, 46, and Bradley Benavides, 56, had surrendered following the issuance of arrest warrants.
Both face one count of making false statements in connection with testimony they provided to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023.
The charges come after the two former officials faced sustained criticism from allies of President Donald Trump over the FBI’s handling of investigations involving Hunter Biden.
According to prosecutors, Floris and Benavides told congressional investigators that the FBI’s now-disbanded Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) had not participated in investigations concerning Hunter Biden.
However, federal authorities allege that their statements misrepresented the task force’s involvement.
Benavides also reportedly testified that he first learned the FBI possessed Hunter Biden’s laptop through a Wikipedia article in 2023.
Prosecutors dispute that account, alleging that he had repeatedly discussed the laptop with other FBI personnel before the 2020 presidential election.
Floris served as deputy assistant director overseeing the FITF from mid-2019 until mid-2022, while Benavides was the task force’s section chief during the 2020 election period.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro described the allegations as a serious breach of accountability by former federal law enforcement officials.
“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,” Pirro said in a statement.
FBI Director Kash Patel also commented on the case, alleging that one of the defendants had privately claimed to be “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election.
Patel did not identify which defendant allegedly made the remark in the statement cited.
The accusations remain allegations, and neither former official has been convicted in connection with the charges.
The case comes against the backdrop of longstanding political controversy surrounding federal investigations into Hunter Biden.
In June 2024, Hunter Biden was convicted on federal firearms charges. He subsequently pleaded guilty to federal tax offences in September of the same year.
His father, then-President Joe Biden, issued him a presidential pardon in December 2024, shortly before leaving office.
The latest proceedings concern the former FBI officials’ statements to Congress rather than new criminal charges against Hunter Biden.