Two former FBI intelligence officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were charged on Friday with making false statements regarding their roles in investigating the origins of Hunter Biden’s laptop during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election.

Charges Filed

Floris and Benavides surrendered and made their first appearance in federal court in Washington, D.C. on Friday. Floris’s legal team expressed outrage at the charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, the parent agency of the FBI. They stated:

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"Nikki Floris is a patriot. She served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years. Yet today, the justice department has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts. It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election."

Context of the Investigation

The case was filed just 10 days before the November 3 midterm elections and is part of a series of high-profile and politically charged investigative actions by the justice department during a critical campaigning period. This prosecution is notable as it marks a rare criminal case against a former FBI employee.