The Justice Department has charged former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides with lying to Congress regarding their involvement in investigations into Hunter Biden, including his laptop. Both surrendered Friday under arrest warrants.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated: “Lying to Congress by anyone strikes at the heart of our democratic system, but 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.”

The prosecution, a rare Department of Justice criminal case against a former employee, revisits a complex saga that emerged during the final weeks of the 2020 election cycle. FBI Director Kash Patel described Floris as having led the since-disbanded Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) as Deputy Assistant Director from mid-2019 through mid-2022, and Benavides as FITF Section Chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election. Both testified that the FITF was not involved in Hunter Biden investigations, but documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications, and witness accounts contradict their testimony.

Floris’ attorneys characterized her as “a patriot” who served nearly 20 years as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer. They asserted: “Yet today, the DOJ has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts.” The case was filed via criminal complaint 10 days before the November 3 elections, meaning prosecutors have not yet presented it to a grand jury for an indictment. U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui noted: “It is rare that we have charges this old coming in this nature.”

FBI Director Patel emphasized: “Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law. The FBI has already dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad that engaged in political weaponization targeting their opponents, including President Trump.”

The Justice Department claims evidence shows Benavides discussed Hunter Biden’s laptop story with FBI investigators rather than learning about it from Wikipedia, and that Floris communicated with members of the Foreign Influence Task Force regarding Hunter Biden despite testifying otherwise. A statement of facts filed by prosecutors cites 2023 testimony where Floris denied involvement in Hunter Biden investigations but email logs purport to demonstrate contrary communications.