Two former FBI officials charged with lying to Congress about Hunter Biden laptop investigation

The Justice Department's rare criminal prosecution of former employees revives a central 2020 election controversy and touches off debates over federal law enforcement actions near an election timeline.

• •Two former FBI officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were charged via criminal complaint with lying to Congress about their involvement in the Hunter Biden laptop investigation.
• •The defendants previously led the Foreign Influence Task Force, a unit established to counter foreign election interference that was disbanded in February 2025.
• •The complaint alleges Benavides falsely claimed he learned through Wikipedia that the FBI possessed the laptop, and that Floris falsely claimed no knowledge of Hunter Biden being discussed at task force meetings.
• •U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui set a preliminary hearing for the following Tuesday, overriding prosecutors who pushed for more time.
• •The case was filed via criminal complaint rather than a grand jury indictment, a move typically reserved for urgent situations involving flight risk or danger.
• •The laptop first emerged in October 2020 after being dropped off at a Wilmington, Delaware, repair shop and publicized by the New York Post.
• •The Justice Department has recently undertaken other high-profile political actions, including a search of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's home and a corruption indictment against Democratic Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas.