Two ex-FBI officials charged with making false statements about Hunter Biden's laptop

Two former FBI intelligence agents were charged Friday with making false statements about their roles in investigating the origins of Hunter Biden's laptop prior to the 2020 election cycle. 

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who specialized in foreign election interference, surrendered and made their first appearance in federal court in Washington on Friday, the Associated Press reported. 

According to the affidavit, Floris and Benavides made "materially false statements" to the House Judiciary Committee during a congressional investigation into the Foreign Influence Task Force's (FITF) involvement in the FBI's various investigations into Hunter Biden. 

FBI Director Kas Patel said in a statement that Floris led the since-dissolved FITF as deputy assistant director from mid-2019 through mid-2022, and Benavides was the section chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election. 

"Both testified that the FITF was not involved in the Hunter Biden investigations. Documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications, and witness accounts contradict their testimony," Patel said. 

Patel also alleged that Floris was recorded privately claiming to be “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election in her role on the FITF.

"Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law. The FBI has already dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad that engaged in political weaponization targeting their opponents, including President Trump.Floris' attorney denied the allegations and described her as a patriot and suggested the timing — right before the midterms — is suspicious," Patel said. 

Floris "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 attorney said in a statement.