Two former senior FBI officials surrendered in Washington on Friday, October 23, after a criminal complaint charged them with lying to Congress about their involvement in the FBI's investigations into Hunter Biden, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. Nikki Cole Floris, 46, of Alexandria, Virginia, and Bradley Benavides, 56, of Aiken, South Carolina, each face one count of making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch, under 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).
Floris led the Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) as a Deputy Assistant Director from mid-2019 through mid-2022, and Benavides was its Section Chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election, according to the Justice Department. The task force, now dissolved, led the FBI's efforts to secure the 2020 election from foreign malign influence, and it participated in several FBI investigations into Hunter Biden in the lead-up to that election.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice — official announcement, October 23, 2026
What prosecutors allege was said — and what the evidence shows
In 2023, the House Judiciary Committee interviewed both defendants about the FITF's role, after warning them that lying to Congress is a crime. Prosecutors allege Floris testified she was involved in no discussions about Hunter Biden while at the FITF, and Benavides testified he only learned of the FBI's possession of Hunter Biden's laptop from a Wikipedia article in 2023. The Justice Department says documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications and witness accounts contradict that testimony: it alleges Floris discussed the Hunter Biden investigations routinely for more than a year, and Benavides regularly discussed the laptop with FBI officials before the 2020 election. These are allegations in a complaint, not findings of guilt.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said lying to Congress by senior FBI agents 'strikes at the heart of our democratic system.' FBI Director Kash Patel said one defendant was on record privately claiming to be 'running a shadow government' during the 2020 election, and that the bureau had dismantled the unit he called the 'corrupt CR-15 squad.' Reporting by Dispatch Times, summarising the Justice Department announcement and CBS coverage, said Floris's lawyers rejected the allegations and criticised the charges being filed years later, on the eve of an election.
Source: Dispatch Times — Ex-FBI pair charged over lies to Congress on Biden laptop inquiry
Charges in a criminal complaint are merely allegations. Floris and Benavides are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, the Justice Department noted.