WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Two former FBI officials face charges of making false statements to Congress about their knowledge of the bureau’s investigations into Hunter Biden. The allegations stem from testimony they gave during a House Judiciary Committee inquiry in 2023.
Nikki Cole Floris, 46, and Bradley Benavides, 56, surrendered Friday and appeared in federal court in Washington. Prosecutors filed a criminal complaint, not a grand jury indictment. A judge set a preliminary hearing for Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The complaint focuses on the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which monitored foreign efforts to interfere in U.S. elections. Floris led the task force from 2019 to 2022; Benavides served as its section chief through the 2020 election. Prosecutors say the task force discussed the Hunter Biden investigations and communicated with the FBI teams handling them. The bureau disbanded the task force in 2025.
Floris told lawmakers she had no discussions about Hunter Biden while on the task force, according to the complaint. Benavides said he learned that the FBI had Hunter Biden’s laptop from Wikipedia while preparing for his testimony. Prosecutors allege those statements were false.
The FBI affidavit cites emails and witness accounts to challenge the testimony. It says both officials helped respond to press inquiries after the New York Post published its laptop story on Oct. 14, 2020. In one exchange, Benavides told a colleague he had spoken with an FBI official about whether a copy of the laptop existed. The affidavit also says an FBI official told investigators that Floris regularly discussed the Hunter Biden cases with him.
The task force’s work included reviewing intelligence about possible foreign influence. The complaint describes a project called “Round River,” which examined informant reporting related to the Hunter Biden investigations for signs of possible Russian disinformation. It does not allege that the FBI suppressed the laptop’s contents to help Joe Biden; it focuses on the former officials’ statements to Congress about their knowledge and involvement.
Floris’ attorneys called the case politically motivated and said prosecutors relied on “politicians, not on the facts.” They also questioned why the government filed charges over testimony given years ago, just 10 days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Benavides’ attorneys did not immediately issue a public statement.
At Friday’s hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui described it as rare to bring charges over events this old through a criminal complaint. Both defense teams sought a prompt hearing to challenge the allegations; Faruqui scheduled one for Tuesday.
The complaint presents prosecutors’ allegations, not a finding of guilt. A grand jury has not returned an indictment, and both defendants retain the presumption of innocence.
