Two Ex-FBI Chiefs Charged With Perjury Over 2023 Laptop Testimony

Two former FBI executives are now facing criminal perjury charges related to their 2023 congressional testimony regarding the Hunter Biden laptop investigation.

The Justice Department filed the indictment on Friday against Nikki Floris, a former intelligence division leader in Washington, and Bradley Benavides, a former deputy assistant director for counterintelligence. Prosecutors claim both officials intentionally hid key details about their involvement in the bureau's probes. Each defendant faces a maximum prison sentence of five years if convicted. They appeared before a federal magistrate judge on Friday morning and were subsequently released.

The timeline of the underlying events stretches back several years. In 2019, a computer shop owner handed a laptop to the FBI after Hunter Biden dropped it off and did not return to pick it up. The device has remained a point of contention between political parties. Floris testified before the House Judiciary Committee in 2023. Benavides provided his testimony a few months after Floris. The current charges were announced on Friday, more than three years after those testimonies were given.

Federal records indicate Floris denied any role in the investigations during her questioning. An FBI affidavit states she was actually in frequent contact with the case team for over a year. It also notes she coordinated the bureau's response to media reports about the laptop in real time. Benavides told the committee he knew little about the case. He stated he learned about the laptop from a Wikipedia article while preparing his answers. The affidavit counters that he was in constant communication about the device for days. A member of the committee said these answers affected the investigation by stopping follow-up interviews and subpoenas.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro issued a statement saying the two undermined the institutions they served. She described their actions as a strike against the democratic system. Pirro said, "it's time to bring the hammer of justice down on them." Defense attorneys rejected the charges. Floris's lawyers called the indictment a result of political pressure rather than facts. They described her as a patriot who served for nearly 20 years. They noted the charges were filed on the eve of an election. Ron Safer, Benavides's attorney, asked the court to review if there was enough evidence against two long-time public servants.

US Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui raised questions about the timing of the prosecution. He asked whether the alleged false statements materially impacted the investigation. Faruqui granted a defense request for a hearing to examine the government's evidence. This hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. The judge noted that such a quick hearing is rare for defendants who have been released. He said, "It's certainly rare," adding that the age of the charges made the case unusual. Faruqui observed that the information was quite old. He noted both defendants had strong backgrounds in law enforcement. He described the situation as having a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. He said the matter would follow them for the rest of their lives.

The laptop case has been a partisan issue. Republicans claim it shows corruption in the Biden family. Democrats describe it as part of a Republican conspiracy. The current indictment arrives as many FBI agents have left the bureau since the start of President Donald Trump's second term. Some agents say they were pushed out for working on investigations involving Trump. Others say they were fired for not showing enough loyalty to the president.