Former FBI Intelligence Leads Indicted Over Hunter Biden Testimony

The Justice Department indicted two former senior FBI officials on Friday, alleging they lied to Congress about their involvement in the Hunter Biden laptop investigation. Nikki Floris, who led the intelligence division in the FBI’s Washington field office, and Bradley Benavides, a former deputy assistant director for counterintelligence, face up to five years in prison if convicted. Both were released after a brief appearance before a federal magistrate judge on Friday morning.

Prosecutors claim Floris repeatedly denied any connection to the Hunter Biden probes during her 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. An FBI affidavit states she was in frequent communication with the case team for over a year, sending and receiving information about the former vice president’s son. The document further alleges she claimed ignorance regarding the laptop while actually coordinating the FBI’s real-time response to media coverage of the device.

Bradley Benavides testified to the same committee a few months after Floris, stating he knew little about the matter. He told lawmakers he had learned of the laptop from a Wikipedia entry while preparing his answers. The affidavit counters that he maintained constant communication about the device over several days. A committee member said their responses influenced the investigation by thwarting follow-up interviews and subpoenas.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the pair undermined the institutions they swore to uphold. She argued that senior agents lying to Congress strikes at the heart of the democratic system, noting that when officials believe they are above the law, it is time to bring the hammer of justice down on them.

Defense lawyers for Floris rejected the allegations, calling the charges based on the say-so of politicians rather than facts. They described Floris as a patriot who served as an FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years and noted the timing of the filing on the eve of an election. Ron Safer, attorney for Benavides, asked the court to hold a hearing on whether prosecutors had sufficient evidence against two lifetime public servants.

US Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui granted the defense request for a hearing to weigh the government’s evidence, setting it for Tuesday. Faruqui noted the rarity of such a quick hearing for defendants who have been released. He observed that the charges came more than three years after the testimony, describing the information as quite old while noting the defendants have sparkling backgrounds and an interest in clearing their names quickly.

The laptop at the center of the case was handed to the FBI in 2019 after a computer shop owner said Hunter Biden had dropped it off and never returned. The owner told the Washington Post he turned it over to authorities after viewing some of its contents. The device has long been a partisan flashpoint, with Republicans citing evidence of corruption and Democrats describing it as part of a conspiracy. The indictments arrive as many FBI agents accused by allies of President Donald Trump of working against him have been pushed out of the bureau since the start of his second term.