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Himes Statement on Politically Driven DOJ Charges Against Intelligence Officials

Washington, October 23, 2026

Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today released the following statement:

“Donald Trump and his allies have made a habit of siccing their DOJ on political opponents, but they are sinking to new depths with this attack on career intelligence officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides. These charges are not only clearly designed to punish dedicated professionals, they also ensure that an already demoralized IC workforce remains afraid of political retribution for working on sensitive issues. 

“Doubly concerning is that FBI is apparently conducting an ‘ongoing investigation’ into its own Foreign Influence Task Force. Director Patel’s dismantling of FITF made America less safe from foreign influence. National security officials should be able to take on a hard mission without fear that they will be later investigated and prosecuted for doing their jobs.”