Politics

Former FBI officials face charges alleging false statements to Congress about Hunter Biden

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides are due back in a Washington federal court, and their lawyers call the case baseless and politically motivated.

Updated Oct 27, 2026 · 14:16 UTC2 reports

The short version

Former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides are due back in Washington federal court to face charges.[CBS News · Associated Press]
A criminal complaint accuses them of lying to lawmakers in 2023 about their knowledge of the Hunter Biden laptop, and their lawyers deny wrongdoing.[CBS News · Associated Press]
Both previously led the Foreign Influence Task Force, which was disbanded in February 2025 by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.[CBS News · Associated Press]
The allegations are unproven, and the court has not yet ruled on them.[CBS News · Associated Press]

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides are due back in Washington federal court on charges related to the Hunter Biden laptop case.[CBS News · Associated Press]
The criminal complaint accuses the former officials of lying to lawmakers in 2023 by denying contemporaneous knowledge of the Hunter Biden laptop or participating in internal FBI conversations about it.[Associated Press]
Lawyers for both defendants have denied wrongdoing and describe the case as baseless and politically motivated.[CBS News · Associated Press]
Floris served as deputy assistant director of the Foreign Influence Task Force from mid-2019 through mid-2022, while Benavides served as its section chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election.[CBS News]
The task force was disbanded in February 2025 by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.[Associated Press]

The charges are allegations that the defendants dispute, and the court has not yet ruled on them.[CBS News · Associated Press]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.