2 former FBI officials charged with lying about Hunter Biden's laptop: DOJ
Former FBI officials charged with lying to Congress
Two former FBI intelligence officials have been charged with making false statements about the case centering on Hunter Biden's laptop.
Two former senior FBI officials have been charged with lying to Congress about their roles in investigating Hunter Biden’s laptop ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
The Department of Justice announced Friday that the agents, 46-year-old Nikki Floris and 56-year-old Bradley Benavides, have both been charged with making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch. They surrendered and made their first court appearance Friday.
Former FBI officials charged
What they're saying:
According to the Department of Justice, Floris and Benavides are accused of making false statements to Congress in 2023 when testifying about the 2020 election. Benavidas reportedly told Congress that he learned of the Hunter Biden investigation from Wikipedia, but the DOJ claims he regularly discussed the laptop with FBI officials in the lead-up to the 2020 election.
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Floris also allegedly testified that she wasn’t involved in discussions about Hunter Biden, but "documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications, and witness accounts contradict" her statements.
Two former FBI officials are accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden's laptop (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Justice Department said the two former senior FBI officials were members of the Foreign Influence Task Force, which led the FBI’s efforts to secure the 2020 election from foreign malign influence. The task force has since been dissolved by FBI Director Kash Patel as part of his push to "deweaponize" the agency. Patel has long scrutinized the bureau’s past and was a frequent critic of the FBI before he took over.
"One of these individuals is on record privately claiming to be ‘running a shadow government’ during the 2020 election," Patel said in a news release. "As we’ve said repeatedly: weaponization will never be tolerated at this FBI. We have already dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad that engaged in political weaponization targeting their opponents, including President Trump - and anyone who abuses their position of public trust will be held accountable."
"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," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement.
Hunter Biden’s laptop saga
The backstory:
Hunter Biden’s laptop became a big sticking point in the 2020 presidential election between his father, Joe Biden, and President Donald Trump. The laptop’s contents were publicized by the New York Post, which said it had obtained a hard drive of a computer dropped off by Hunter Biden at a Wilmington, Delaware, repair shop. Trump ally Rudy Giuliani reportedly gave the hard drive to the news outlet. The laptop contained emails that appeared to show discussions of the younger Biden’s foreign business dealings.
The peculiar circumstances of the laptop’s discovery raised concerns among Democrats and former intelligence officials about the possibility of Russian disinformation.
Attorneys say case is ‘nonsense’
The other side:
Floris’ attorney called the allegations "nonsense" in a statement to The Associated Press.
"Nikki Floris is a patriot. She served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years. Yet today, the DOJ has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts," her attorneys said in a statement. "It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election."
The Source: This report includes information from the Department of Justice and The Associated Press.