FBI Agent Testifies Probe of Ex-Officials Began Day After Trump Call

FBI Special Agent Bryan Witt testified that he worried the investigation of former officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides would appear politically motivated, noting it began the day after President Donald Trump called for probes related to the 2020 election and that colleagues generally viewed it as a “witch hunt.” Witt said senior FBI leaders, including Director Kash Patel, pressed investigators to pursue the case aggressively, while the defense challenged the evidence and pointed to investigative shortcomings, including un-interviewed witnesses and errors in the charging affidavit. A federal magistrate judge said he would review the alleged false statements individually to assess whether probable cause supports the charges; Witt, meanwhile, said he remained confident in the allegations.