US prosecutors indict two ex-FBI leaders over Hunter Biden laptop testimony

US federal prosecutors have charged two former senior FBI officials with perjury, alleging they lied to members of Congress about the bureau’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop investigation. The Justice Department announced the indictment on Friday against Nikki Floris, a former intelligence division chief in the Washington field office, and Bradley Benavides, a former deputy assistant director for counterintelligence.

Both defendants were released on Friday morning after a brief appearance before a federal magistrate judge. If convicted, each faces a maximum prison sentence of five years. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who is leading the prosecution, stated that the pair undermined the institutions they served. She described the act of lying to Congress as a strike against the democratic system, noting that when senior agents believe they are above the law, the justice system must act decisively.

The FBI affidavit details specific discrepancies in their 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Floris claimed she had no involvement in the investigations, yet the document says she communicated with the case team for over a year. The filing also states she denied knowing about the laptop, despite coordinating the bureau’s response to media reports in real time.

Benavides testified months later, stating he knew little about the matter and claimed he first learned about the laptop from a Wikipedia entry while preparing his statement. The affidavit counters this by alleging he maintained constant communication regarding the device over several days. A committee member indicated that these answers influenced the investigation, potentially blocking follow-up interviews and subpoenas.

Defense lawyers for Floris rejected the charges, arguing the government relied on political assertions rather than facts. They described her as a patriot with nearly 20 years of service and noted the timing of the indictment on the eve of an election. Ron Safer, counsel for Benavides, asked the court to hold a hearing to determine if the evidence was sufficient to charge two lifetime public servants.

US Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui raised questions about the material impact of the alleged false statements and the age of the charges, which were filed more than three years after the testimony. He granted the defense’s request for an evidentiary hearing, setting it for Tuesday. Faruqui noted that such a rapid schedule is rare for defendants who have been released, adding that the charges were unusual in their age and nature.

The laptop remains a point of political contention, with Republicans viewing it as evidence of corruption in the Biden family and Democrats characterizing it as a conspiracy. The device was handed to the FBI in 2019 by a computer shop owner who said Hunter Biden dropped it off and never returned to collect it. The owner told the Washington Post he turned it over to authorities after viewing some of its contents.

The indictment arrives as many FBI agents accused by President Donald Trump’s allies of working against him have been pushed out of the bureau since the start of his second term. Some dismissed agents say they were fired for working on investigations involving Trump, while others cite a lack of demonstrated loyalty as the reason for their departure.