Two former FBI officials charged with false statements over Hunter Biden laptop investigation

Summary

The Justice Department on Friday charged two former FBI intelligence officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, with making false statements about their roles in investigating the origins of Hunter Biden's laptop in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election. Both surrendered and made their first appearance in federal court in Washington, DC. The officials specialized in foreign election interference. CNBC reports that attorneys for one of the officials called the charges "nonsense charges" filed just before the midterm election, and Al Jazeera reports that lawyers for the two say the Justice Department is seeking to revive the scandal in the run-up to the midterm vote. NPR reports that Republicans have long accused the FBI of mishandling the laptop and the investigations into the younger Biden. Hindustan Times reports the two were charged with lying to Congress about the probe. The New York Times reports that the charges intensified the administration's efforts to go after law enforcement and intelligence personnel who cast doubt on unsubstantiated claims that Joseph R. Biden Jr. engaged in corrupt dealings in Ukraine.

Timeline

1. CNBC

   23 Oct 2026, 15:27 UTCSource ↗

   CNBC reports that the Justice Department charged two ex-FBI officials with allegedly lying about the Hunter Biden probe, and that attorneys for one of them slammed the charges as "nonsense charges" filed just before the midterm election.

2. NPR

   23 Oct 2026, 15:51 UTCSource ↗

   NPR reports that former FBI employees were charged with lying to Congress over their Hunter Biden inquiries, and that Republicans have long accused the FBI of mishandling the laptop and the investigations into the younger Biden.

3. The Guardian

   23 Oct 2026, 16:00 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that two former FBI intelligence officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were charged on Friday with making false statements about their roles in investigating Hunter Biden's laptop, and that they surrendered and made their first appearance in federal court in Washington, DC.

4. Hindustan Times

   23 Oct 2026, 18:09 UTCSource ↗

   Hindustan Times reports that two former FBI officials have been charged with lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden laptop probe.

5. The New York Times

   23 Oct 2026, 18:18 UTCSource ↗

   The New York Times reports that the charges against two former FBI officials over false statements about Hunter Biden intensified the administration's efforts to go after law enforcement and intelligence personnel who cast doubt on unsubstantiated claims that Joseph R. Biden Jr. engaged in corrupt dealings in Ukraine.

6. Al Jazeera

   23 Oct 2026, 18:22 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that lawyers for the two accused officials say the Department of Justice is seeking to revive the scandal in the run-up to the midterm vote.