Two ex-FBI officials are charged with lying to Congress about their role in the US Hunter Biden laptop probe

Nikki Floris, 46, and Bradley Benavides, 56, surrendered to authorities on Friday and appeared before a federal court in Washington for the first time. FBI Director Kash Patel says documents and witness accounts contradict their 2023 testimony that the Foreign Influence Task Force played no part in the Hunter Biden investigations. Patel alleges Floris privately described herself as 'running a shadow government' during the 2020 election. Her lawyers call the charges 'nonsense' timed for the eve of the November 3 midterms.

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

Attorney General Todd Blanche said officials 'cannot lie to Congress and get away with it'.

The task force warned two Republican senators in 2020 of possible Russian influence over the laptop claims.