Eleven days before the midterms, two ex-FBI officials have been charged with lying to US Congress over Hunter Biden's laptop

FBI Director Kash Patel claims Nikki Floris privately boasted of 'running a shadow government' during the 2020 election. She and Bradley Benavides held senior roles on the now-disbanded Foreign Influence Task Force. Both told the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 they had no part in the Hunter Biden probes. Prosecutors say documents and witnesses contradict them, and each faces one count.

Benavides claimed he learned of the laptop from a 'Wikipedia article', prosecutors allege.

Floris's lawyers called her 'a patriot' and branded the charges 'nonsense'.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro vowed to 'bring the hammer of justice down' on them.