Former FBI Officials Arrested Over Allegedly Lying to Congress About Investigation Into Joe Biden's Son Hunter
Katel Patel and Jeanine Pirro once again have their sights set on Hunter Biden's laptop.
Oct. 26 2026, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Two former senior FBI officials surrendered to authorities Friday on charges that they made false statements to Congress about the bureau's handling of investigations involving Hunter Biden, including matters related to his laptop ahead of the 2020 election, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Nikki Cole Floris, 46, of Alexandria, Virginia, and Bradley Benavides, 56, of Aiken, South Carolina, each face one count of making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch.
Charges and Allegations
Investigation into Hunter Biden's laptop sparked two arrests.
The charges stem from their 2023 testimony to the House Judiciary Committee concerning the now-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force.
Prosecutors allege Floris and Benavides denied that the Foreign Influence Task Force was involved in the FBI's investigations into Hunter and minimized their own knowledge of the matters.
A criminal complaint and supporting affidavit cite contemporaneous communications, emails, and witness accounts that prosecutors say contradict the testimony.
Background of Officials
Nikki Cole Flores and Bradley Benavides are accused of making false statement about Hunter Biden's laptop.
Floris, who led the task force as a deputy assistant director from mid-2019 through mid-2022, is accused of routinely discussing the Hunter investigations within the task force and with other FBI personnel for more than a year.
Benavides, the task force section chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election, is accused of regularly discussing the laptop with FBI officials in the lead-up to the election.
He had testified that he learned of the FBI's possession of the laptop from a Wikipedia article while preparing for the 2023 interview.
Statements From Katel Patel and Jeanine Pirro
FBI Director Kash Patel said one individual claimed to be running a shadow government.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the charges, saying, "Lying to Congress by anyone strikes at the heart of our democratic system, but when senior FBI agents lie to Congress believing they are above the law, it's time to bring the hammer of justice down on them."
FBI Director Kash Patel said the two former members of the Foreign Influence Task Force were taken into custody and charged with lying to Congress "on matters regarding investigations related to the 2020 election."
Patel added that one of the individuals is "on record privately claiming to be 'running a shadow government' during the 2020 election."
Response From Defendants
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Floris' attorneys believe she is being falsely accused.
Attorneys for Floris issued a statement calling her a "patriot" who "served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years."
They said the Justice Department "has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts," and described the filing as "nonsense charges" brought "years later, on the eve of an election."
