Two former FBI officials charged with lying to Congress about Hunter Biden investigations
publishers 60articles 61first reported 23 Oct, 14:22 UTCdeveloping since 23 Oct · 9 editions
Two former senior FBI officials were charged Friday with making false statements to Congress about their roles in investigations involving Hunter Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden.
Nikki Floris, 46, a former intelligence analyst in charge at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Bradley Benavides, 56, a former deputy assistant director in the bureau’s Counterintelligence Division, each face one count of lying to Congress. They surrendered and made their first appearances in federal court in Washington, D.C.
The charges concern testimony the two gave separately to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 about the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, where both had worked during the 2020 election. According to an FBI affidavit, Floris and Benavides denied awareness of or involvement in investigations related to Hunter Biden. Prosecutors allege emails, messages, briefings and witness accounts contradict that testimony and show the task force communicated about the investigations, including reporting on Biden’s laptop.
Attorneys for Floris called the accusation false and described the prosecution as politically motivated, pointing to its filing less than two weeks before the November 3 midterm election. An attorney for Benavides questioned why the government brought charges over testimony given three years earlier and requested a prompt hearing on whether probable cause exists.
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui called the manner of charging the case “strange,” rejected prosecutors’ request for a longer delay and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Tuesday. Neither defendant has been convicted, and the allegations remain to be tested in court.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- Source articles
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- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
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