Justice Department Charges: Two Ex-FBI Leaders Indicted for False Congressional Testimony

The US Justice Department has formally charged two former Federal Bureau of Investigation executives with lying to Congress regarding the bureau's handling of investigations involving Hunter Biden.

The indictment targets Nikki Floris, a former intelligence division analyst in the Washington field office, and Bradley Benavides, a former deputy assistant director for counterintelligence. Federal prosecutors allege that both officials intentionally withheld information while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee in 2023. Each defendant faces a maximum prison sentence of five years if convicted. Following a brief appearance before a federal magistrate judge on Friday, both men were released from custody in the morning.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, whose office is leading the prosecution, stated that the pair compromised the institutions they served. She described the act of lying to Congress as an attack on the democratic system and called for strict legal consequences for senior agents who believe they are above the law.

According to an FBI affidavit, Floris repeatedly denied any involvement in the Hunter Biden probes during her testimony. The document claims she was in frequent communication with the case team for more than a year and coordinated the FBI's response to news coverage of the laptop in real time. Benavides testified months later, claiming he learned about the device from a Wikipedia entry. The affidavit asserts he was actually in constant communication about the laptop over several days. A committee member stated that these answers influenced the investigation by stopping follow-up interviews and subpoenas.

Defense attorneys for Floris rejected the allegations, arguing the government relied on political claims rather than facts. They described their client as a patriot who served for nearly 20 years and noted that the charges were filed just before an election. Ron Safer, representing Benavides, asked the court to review whether there was sufficient evidence against two long-term public servants.

US Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui questioned the timing of the prosecution, noting the charges arrived more than three years after the testimony. He granted a request for a hearing to weigh the government's evidence, scheduled for Tuesday. Faruqui described the timeframe as rare and acknowledged the defendants' interest in clearing their names quickly, referring to the legal uncertainty as a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.

The laptop at the center of the case was handed to the FBI in 2019 after a computer shop owner said Hunter Biden dropped it off and never returned. The owner told the Washington Post he turned it over to authorities after viewing some contents. The device remains a political focal point, with Republicans viewing it as evidence of corruption and Democrats describing it as part of a conspiracy. The charges come as many FBI agents accused of working against President Donald Trump have left the bureau since his second term began.