Two former FBI agents charged with lying to Congress during Hunter Biden laptop inquiry - report

Two former FBI officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were charged with making false statements to Congress about the Hunter Biden laptop investigation. The charges, announced by the DOJ on Friday, allege they hid information while testifying in 2023. They face up to five years in prison if convicted.

Two former FBI officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were charged with making false statements to Congress regarding the investigation into Hunter Biden's laptop, the Washington Post reported. The US Justice Department announced the charges on Friday, alleging both intentionally hid information while testifying to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023. Floris's attorneys claimed the DOJ had "accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts." Ron Safer, attorney for Benavides, urged a hearing to determine if prosecutors had enough evidence. The pair face up to five years in prison if found guilty and were released on Friday morning after a brief court appearance. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro accused them of undermining "the very institutions they swore to uphold." An FBI affidavit stated Floris denied involvement in the Hunter Biden investigations but was in frequent communication with the case team. Benavides told the committee he learned about the laptop from Wikipedia, but the affidavit said he was in constant communication about it. US Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui raised concerns about the timing of the charges, noting they were filed over three years after the testimony. The article notes that since the second Trump administration, many FBI agents perceived as working against the president have been pushed out.