Former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress in Hunter Biden investigation

WASHINGTON (7News) — Two former senior FBI officials have been charged with lying to Congress about the bureau’s investigations into Hunter Biden.

One of them, Nikki Cole Floris, 46, is from Alexandria. Floris and Bradley Benavides, 56, of South Carolina, surrendered Friday after a criminal complaint charged them with making false statements to Congress, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.

The charges stem from an investigation into the FBI’s now-dissolved Foreign Influence Task Force, which worked to protect the 2020 election from foreign interference.

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According to the complaint, both Floris and Benavides told the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 that the task force was not involved in FBI investigations into Hunter Biden.

Floris said she took part in no discussions about Hunter Biden while assigned to the task force. Benavides said he first learned the FBI had Hunter Biden’s laptop from a Wikipedia article in 2023.

Investigators say records, communications and witness accounts contradict their testimony. The complaint says Floris discussed the investigations for more than a year, while Benavides regularly discussed Hunter Biden’s laptop with FBI officials before the 2020 election.

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Floris led the task force as a deputy assistant director from 2019 to 2022. Benavides was a section chief from 2019 through the 2020 election.

Each faces one count of making a false statement in a matter within the jurisdiction of Congress.