Former FBI Analyst and Deputy Director Indicted for Perjury in Laptop Case

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, two former senior FBI officials, were charged with perjury on Friday over their 2023 congressional testimony regarding the Hunter Biden laptop.

The Justice Department announced the indictment against Floris, a former intelligence analyst in Washington, and Benavides, a former deputy assistant director for counterintelligence. Prosecutors claim both men intentionally withheld information from the House Judiciary Committee. Each faces a maximum prison sentence of five years. Following a brief court appearance, a federal magistrate judge released both defendants on Friday morning.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, leading the prosecution, stated that the pair undermined the institutions they served. She argued that lying to Congress strikes at the core of the democratic system. Pirro said that when senior agents believe they are above the law, "it's time to bring the hammer of justice down on them."

An FBI affidavit details the alleged discrepancies. It claims Floris denied any role in the Hunter Biden investigations during her testimony. The document states she communicated with the case team for over a year and coordinated the FBI's response to news reports about the laptop in real time. Benavides testified months later that he knew little about the matter. He claimed he learned about the laptop from a Wikipedia entry while preparing his testimony. The affidavit counters that he was in constant communication about the device for several days. A committee member noted that their answers shaped the investigation, including by blocking follow-up interviews and subpoenas.

Defense lawyers for Floris rejected the charges, asserting that the government relied on the "say-so of politicians, not on the facts." They described Floris as a patriot who served as an FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years. Their attorneys called the timing a coincidence, noting the case was filed "on the eve of an election." Ron Safer, representing Benavides, urged the court to hold a hearing to determine if prosecutors had sufficient evidence against "two lifetime public servants."

US Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui raised questions about the age of the charges, which were filed more than three years after the original testimony. He questioned whether the false statements materially impacted the investigation. Faruqui granted the defense's request for a hearing to weigh the government's evidence. He scheduled this hearing for Tuesday, a date earlier than typical for released defendants. "It's certainly rare," Faruqui said. "But it is more rare that we have charges that are this old of this nature."

Faruqui noted that both defendants have strong backgrounds in law enforcement and a desire to clear their names. He described the situation as a "Sword of Damocles" hanging over their heads, stating the matter would follow them for the rest of their lives.

The laptop at the center of the legal dispute has been a political flashpoint since 2019. Republicans argue it contains evidence of corruption in the Biden family. Democrats describe it as part of a Republican conspiracy. A computer shop owner handed the device to the FBI after 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 have left the bureau since the start of President Donald Trump's second term. Some former agents say they were dismissed for working on investigations involving Trump. Others cite a lack of perceived loyalty as the reason for their departures.