Ilhan Omar hit with expulsion threat as GOP lawmaker vows to boot her from Congress over DOJ probe

October 23, 2026 9:27am EDT / Fox News

Rep Randy Fine questioned Omar’s citizenship after a federal court filing listed her under a different name

By Pedro B Rodriguez-Aparicio

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EXCLUSIVE:Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that he plans to pursue an effort to expel Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., if the Justice Department finds her guilty of immigration fraud.

Fine, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, made the comments after Fox News Digital reported that a federal court filing identified Omar under the name “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi,” also listing “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” as an alias. The filing has raised questions about Omar’s identity and immigration records but does not establish that she committed fraud.

“I assume that she’s not a citizen, so we might not even have to do that,” Fine said. “You can’t be in Congress if you’re not a citizen of the United States, but if it isn’t automatic, I absolutely will demand expulsion immediately.”

ILHAN OMAR IS NOT THE MINNESOTA CONGRESSWOMAN’S ‘REAL NAME’: SOURCES

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks to attendees of a campaign rally for U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Dearborn, Mich., on July 31, 2026.(Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

Omar is a naturalized U.S. citizen. She was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. She has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated.

Fine said Democrats would attempt to block any Republican effort to censure or expel Omar.

HOMAN SAYS ILHAN OMAR COULD BE STRIPPED OF NATURALIZATION, DEPORTED IF IMMIGRATION FRAUD IS PROVEN

“I don’t think Democrats think you should have to be American. They don’t believe in borders,” Fine said. “They’ve made that clear. They don’t believe in America.”

The House has the constitutional authority to expel a member, but doing so requires a two-thirds vote. A criminal investigation or allegation alone does not automatically remove a member from Congress.

Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 18, 2025.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Fine also criticized Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., who in September introduced the Reimagining Safety Act, legislation that would dismantle the Department of Homeland Security and abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, while preserving some of its functions under a new agency, the Department of Community Safety.

“Look at this bill filed by the congresswoman from Chicago, where she doesn’t believe we should have borders, border protection or the ability to deport anyone,” Fine said.

ILHAN OMAR’S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS

Fine also criticized Democrats who have called the Justice Department’s investigation into Omar politically motivated, pointing to the separate inquiry into her financial disclosures. The investigation into her finances began under former President Joe Biden in 2024, a detail that Fine claimed Democrats have intentionally overlooked.

Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) raided the Washington, D.C., home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.(Andrew Murray/Fox News Digital)

“Democrats don’t get held accountable for anything, and they agree on this agenda that is anti-American and anti-citizen,” Fine continued.

Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence was searched by Homeland Security Investigations agents on Oct. 12 as part of a federal investigation into possible false statements on immigration and naturalization documents. Federal authorities have also issued grand jury subpoenas to members of Omar’s family and seized her cellphone, according to The Associated Press.

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Omar’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

Jackson again publicly breaks with Supreme Court as justices side with GOP in last-minute voter ID fight

2026-10-23T10:11:24-04:00 / Fox News

The ruling allows the state to enforce a law striking student ID cards from accepted ballot identification before midterms

By Robert Schmad

Published October 23, 2026 10:11am EDT

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Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the lone public dissenter in a Thursday decision allowing New Hampshire to block the use of student ID cards in the upcoming midterm elections.

Other justices on the court cited the longstanding precedent “that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter the election rules on the eve of an election,” and said that lower courts failed to argue that the specific case in New Hampshire warranted an exception to the tradition. Jackson, however, argued the proximity to an election should not get in the way of properly applying the law.

“I respectfully dissent because — even, and perhaps especially, when an election is looming — I would not disturb a clearly justifiable federal-court order issued to ensure that the public receives accurate information about a State’s electoral processes,” she wrote.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS INDIANA BAN ON STUDENT ID FOR VOTING

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson gives a joint lecture in the Ceremonial Courtroom at the U.S. Courthouse in Washington, D.C., on March 9, 2026.(The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The underlying dispute stems from a law signed in April that went into effect in June, striking student ID cards from the list of forms of identification that election officials can accept when an individual requests a ballot. A voting rights group sued New Hampshire on the grounds that the law illegally discriminated against young voters by making it more difficult for them to vote.

New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan then issued guidance saying that student IDs could not be used to establish voter identity, even as supporting evidence under the state’s alternative verification procedures. A district judge blocked that portion of the guidance, arguing that it went beyond the scope of the law itself, which only removed student IDs from the list of expressly accepted forms of identification.

Among the supporters of the guidance was the Republican National Committee.

DEMS HAND GOP FRESH MIDTERM WEAPON BY OPPOSING WIDELY USED VOTER ID

The Supreme Court is seen on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026.(Annabelle Gordon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

While Jackson was the lone public dissenter, it is possible that other justices dissented as well, but opted not to be named on the court order. During her roughly four years on the Supreme Court, Jackson has broken from the rest of her colleagues in areas such as campaign finance, immigration and congressional map litigation.

In 2023, she was the lone dissenter in an 8-1 ruling allowing a concrete company to sue striking union workers. She also stood alone in a May 2026 decision involving federal prisoners seeking to challenge their convictions through compassionate release.

TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN IN ELECTION INTEGRITY FIGHT AS STATES GAIN NEW VOTER ROLL TOOL

Ketanji Brown Jackson attends the 2026 Recording Academy Honors presented by The Black Music Collective during the 68th Grammy Awards on January 29, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

New Hampshire is holding a handful of close races on Election Day, putting some weight behind the court’s decision. Fox News’ power rankings rate the state’s Senate race as leans Democratic, meaning that liberals have a slight advantage in a race that could decide control of Congress. The state’s governor’s race, meanwhile, is rated as likely going to the GOP.

College students typically favor the Democratic Party, though it is unclear how many voters will be affected by the court ruling, as students who previously relied on their student IDs will now need another accepted form of identification.

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Some Democrats, however, believe allowing voters to use student IDs would be a good thing. Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, for instance, has pushed for such a thing in his state.

Source: DOJ investigating former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski

Published 9:48 AM EDT, Fri October 23, 2026 | CNN Politics

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Source: DOJ investigating former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski

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Source: DOJ investigating former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski

Sources say the Justice Department is investigating Corey Lewandowski over allegations of contract misconduct at DHS in President Trump’s second term. An attorney for Lewandowski says his client has not been contacted by the DOJ and denies any wrongdoing. CNN News Central’s Kate Bolduan gets the latest from CNN reporter Holmes Lybrand.

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Jared Kushner pushes back on report involving hacked phone, spies, billion-dollar transfer

October 23, 2026 / 10:31 AM EDT / CBS News

Jared Kushner is pushing back on a report involving a hacked iPhone, international spies and billion-dollar transfers from foreign governments.

An upcoming book by journalist Matthew Cole claims Kushner, who is President Trump’s son-in-law, had access to more than $2 billion in “slush money funds” from Middle Eastern leaders in an attempt to influence U.S. foreign policy.

An excerpt of the book released Thursday details allegations encompassing Kushner’s time as a senior White House adviser during the first Trump administration, which included a lead role in U.S. policy in the Middle East. Kushner had a major hand in negotiating key foreign policy deals that involved Israel, the Gulf states, China and Russia during that period.

Kushner and his legal team released fiery statements Thursday night categorically denying all accusations against him. Kushner said, “The allegations made by this author are completely insane and never happened.” His attorney called them “false and defamatory” and said they intend to pursue legal action against those responsible, but did not specify whom.

The new book, “Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East,” alleges Kushner had access to billions of dollars in undisclosed foreign bank accounts intended to pay for “influence within the U.S. government.”

An excerpt from the book that was published in “Vanity Fair,” but not independently verified by CBS News, says Dutch intelligence agents learned the Russians had hacked Kushner’s iPhone in 2017 after flipping a Russian spy and subsequently gained access to Kushner’s phone as well.

According to the report, “when Kushner used the phone, they could see his screen. Almost as soon as they got inside, the intelligence service began capturing every image of Kushner’s screen as he used it.”

At the time, Kushner served as a senior White House adviser to President Trump, including on Middle Eastern diplomacy.

The report alleges Dutch spies witnessed him log into a United Arab Emirates account that had allegedly received hundreds of millions of dollars from a bank in Azerbaijan, and claims the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE put at least $2 billion into multiple bank accounts linked to Kushner, including an account with Israel’s Central Bank.

According to the book excerpt, the owners and managers of the accounts were often disguised as official government entities or charities, but the funds were actually intended for “off-the-books diplomatic objectives” such as striking a deal to end the Israeli-Palesteinian conflict.

The report also claims Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman put roughly $1 billion into at least one account for Kushner, citing a “person with knowledge of the money” saying “its allocation was for Kushner’s personal benefit.”

Kushner forcefully denied the accusations leveled in the “Vanity Fair” excerpt, writing in part, “The allegations made by this author are completely insane and never happened.”

“We denied every claim on the record, yet the author provided not a single shred of verifiable evidence to substantiate them,” he said.

“No bank statements, wire transfer records, account numbers, transaction dates, or other verifiable details were provided to support these extraordinary accusations,” he said.

CBS News reached out to the White House, which referred us to a statement from Steven Cheung, who is assistant to the president and White House director of communications.

Cheung said the “bull**** Vanity Fair article comes from a book that is complete fiction, and was fabricated from the warped mind of failed spy thriller writer.”

“He presents no evidence or even a shred of documentation. Just mysterious words from unnamed sources,” Cheung said on X.

In:

• United Arab Emirates
• Jared Kushner
• Saudi Arabia

Ex-FBI officials arrested in Hunter Biden laptop probe as testimony comes under scrutiny

October 23, 2026 11:04am EDT / Fox News

Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides were arrested Friday after allegedly downplaying their knowledge of investigations

By Robert Schmad

The Department of Justice charged two former FBI officials with lying to Congress about their involvement in FBI investigations into Hunter Biden, including matters involving his laptop.

Former FBI officials Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides, according to the DOJ, falsely denied involvement in the investigations into former President Joe Biden’s son when speaking to Congress. Both surrendered Friday on arrest warrants, according to the DOJ.

“Lying to Congress by anyone strikes at the heart of our democratic system, but when senior FBI agents lie to Congress believing they are above the law, it’s time to bring the hammer of justice down on them,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said of the charges.

“When senior officials entrusted with safeguarding our nation’s security choose deception over duty, they undermine the very institutions they swore to uphold. Today’s action makes clear that no one is above the law, and we will hold accountable all who obstruct the truth.”

FBI CO-DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREW BAILEY RESIGNS AFTER YEAR IN ROLE

Hunter Biden, left, and attorney Abbe David Lowell.(Tom Williams/Getty Images)

The Justice Department claims to possess evidence that shows Benavides discussed the laptop story with others in the FBI, contradicting his testimony that he learned about the story from Wikipedia. Similarly, the department says that it has evidence Floris discussed Hunter Biden with members of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, despite testifying to the contrary.

FBI agents stand outside the home of Lakiya Malone, who is charged with fraud involving federal homelessness aid programs, in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

“Nikki Floris is a patriot. She served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years. Yet today, the DOJ 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,” her attorneys said in a statement.

RUSSIAN SPIES ORCHESTRATED $40K MURDER PLOT IN NATION’S CAPITAL, US ALLEGES

FBI Director Kash Patel is sworn in to testify during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on September 15, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The committee held the oversight hearing to examine the Federal Bureau of Investigation.(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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“This morning the FBI arrested two former FBI members of the now dissolved Foreign Influence Task Force, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, both of whom allegedly lied to Congress in 2023 on matters regarding investigations related to the 2020 election,” FBI Director Kash Patel said of the arrests. “One of these individuals is on record privately claiming to be ‘running a shadow government’ during the 2020 election. As we’ve said repeatedly: weaponization will never be tolerated at this FBI.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Melania Trump helps secure “temporary ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine in city of Oleshky

Updated on: October 23, 2026 / 11:33 AM EDT / CBS News

First lady Melania Trump’s office on Friday said she — not President Trump or another top official — has secured a temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky for humanitarian reasons.

In an unusual announcement for a first lady’s office, it said both nations agreed to temporarily halt all military action in the southern Ukrainian city “to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and to prepare a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway.” The localized ceasefire will begin Thursday, Oct. 29.

Russia and Ukraine have not commented on the first lady’s announcement. But Ukrainian officials indicated that there has been a tentative agreement in the Russian-occupied territory in southern Ukraine.

The first lady’s office says she worked “directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the localized ceasefire.”

“The situation in Oleshky is dire,” the first lady said in a statement. “Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster. Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water. The people of Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks. It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible.”

The first lady’s office said she “initiated discussions with both nations and aligned the parties on the agreement’s objectives, technical procedures, timing, processes, and terms, in her formal role as Exclusive Intermediary.”

“Non-military, civilian leaders from both countries will work together to visit Oleshky residents in their homes and determine the level of assistance they require,” the first lady said. “Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine.”

The first lady added that she’s secured an American media organization to document both Russian and Ukrainian teams. Newsmax, a conservative outlet, said it would be going.

White House communications director Steven Cheung called the announcement “amazing news.”

“This is a major, positive step towards peace,” Cheung said on X. “History will remember her tireless work to help those in need.”

Last week, the Vatican said Pope Leo spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone and “expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky.”

Melania Trump has worked to reunite 34 children so far with their families, after Russia forcibly removed children.

Although he said he would bring about an end to Russia’s war with Ukraine on his first day back in office, peace has remained elusive for Mr. Trump. The president has grown increasingly frustrated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent days, saying Ukraine should have a new leader and dismissing concerns about Russia’s continued slaughter of Ukrainians.

“Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine,” Mr. Trump told reporters earlier this week. “They haven’t been doing much.”

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff faced backlash for calling Putin a “humanitarian” upon the release of American Stephen Hubbard.

2 ex-FBI officials charged with lying to Congress about Hunter Biden laptop probe

October 23, 2026 / 11:25 AM EDT / CBS News

Washington— Two former senior FBI officials are facing criminal charges for allegedly making false statements to Congress during testimony in 2023 about the bureau’s investigation involving Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Nikki Floris, 46, a former intelligence analyst in charge in the bureau’s Washington Field Office, and Bradley Benavides, 56, the former deputy assistant director at the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, each appeared in court on Friday in Washington, D.C. where they were presented with a copy of a criminal complaint charging them with one count each of lying to Congress about their roles on the Foreign Influence Task Force during the 2020 election, specifically the FBI’s Hunter Biden investigations.

A statement of facts filed with the complaint alleges that Floris made false statements on July 19, 2023, to Congress, while Benavides made false statements on Sept. 28, 2023. Their alleged false statements pertained to “their awareness of involvement in the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden,” it said.

“The evidence further establishes probable cause to believe that Floris and Benavides made these statements for the purpose of concealing [the Foreign Influence Task Force’s] engagement with and communications about the Hunter Biden investigations and impeding the congressional investigation,” it said.

The decision by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. to charge the pair in a criminal complaint stemming from three-year-old allegations is highly unusual, and both their defense attorneys and the magistrate judge who presided over Friday’s hearing and unsealing raised questions about the decision.

“The alleged conduct happened years ago. The government has had the information about this for years,” said Ron Safer, an attorney for Benavides. He asked Zia Faruqui, the magistrate judge at Friday’s hearing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to immediately schedule a preliminary hearing “as soon as humanly possible” to review whether there was adequate probable cause that a crime was committed.

The politically charged case was also unsealed just about two weeks before the midterm election — a fact that may raise questions by DOJ veterans about the timing of a case involving testimony to Congress that occurred more than three years ago.

Faruqui said he thought the manner in which the case was charged seemed “strange” and he rejected a request by prosecutors to delay the preliminary hearing for two weeks or more.

He ordered the parties to return at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

“This is the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads,” he said. “This will follow them for the rest of their lives.”

Jacob Rosen contributed to this report.

In:

• United States Congress
• FBI

Trumps to vote early in person in Florida on Saturday, White House official says

October 23, 2026 / 10:54 AM EDT / CBS News

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will vote early in person in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Saturday, a White House official said.

On the campaign trail this week, the president said he prefers to vote on Election Day. But Mr. Trump is registered to vote in Palm Beach County.

In recent elections, Mr. Trump has voted by mail. The president, however, is critical of widespread mail-in voting.

Saturday is the first day of early voting in Florida, which runs from Oct. 24 through Halloween.

Mr. Trump’s Election Day plans are not yet clear. He didn’t answer when reporters asked this week what he’ll be doing that day.

The president is traveling most days to hold rallies for Republicans. He was in South Carolina Wednesday night and in Iowa Thursday night, and will deliver remarks in Fort Meyers, Florida, Friday before heading to Mar-a-Lago.

More from CBS News

• #### Melania Trump helps secure “temporary ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine in city of Oleshky
• #### Trump focuses on farmers in Iowa visit, as GOP struggles on fertile ground
• #### Collins enlists Manchin to woo moderates as she distances herself from Trump
• #### Trump praises Ramaswamy ad as some GOP critics speak out

Go deeper with The Free Press

• #### How Trump Took Out Venezuela’s Strongman
• #### What Happens After Trump?: Why Tim Miller Thinks Politics Can’t Go Back

Trump campaigning in ruby red area of Iowa with midterms 12 days away https://www.cbsnews.com/video/trump-campaigning-ruby-red-area-iowa-midterms-12-days-away/

Trump campaigning in ruby red area of Iowa with midterms 12 days away

(02:46)

• #### Melania Trump helps secure “temporary ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine in city of Oleshky
• #### Trump focuses on farmers in Iowa visit, as GOP struggles on fertile ground
• #### Collins enlists Manchin to woo moderates as she distances herself from Trump
• #### How Trump Took Out Venezuela’s Strongman

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First on CNN: DOJ brings criminal charges against FBI officials it believes hampered Biden corruption investigation

2026-10-23T14:08:01.934Z / CNN

Two former FBI officials are facing charges for allegedly lying to Congress as part of a probe that focused on whether FBI investigators sought to minimize allegations of Biden family corruption and evidence of Hunter Biden’s laptop, according to people briefed on the matter and court documents.

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, both former top Washington-based intelligence specialists, are charged with one count of making a false statement. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui said in court on Friday the charges are related to “Hunter Biden’s laptop and allegations around that.”

The charges relate to statements Floris and Benavides made to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 as Republicans questioned an FBI election-interference task force’s involvement in the Hunter Biden investigations.

A charging document unsealed in DC’s federal district court Friday accuses the pair of “concealing [the task force’s] engagement with and communications about the Hunter Biden investigations and impeding the congressional investigation.”

DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the charges in a social media post on Friday, saying the alleged false statements were “about their roles on the Foreign Influence Task Force during the 2020 election.”

Pirro added that “when senior FBI agents lie to Congress believing they are above the law, it’s time to bring the hammer of justice down on them.”

According to Pirro and the criminal complaint, Benavides then told Congress he learned about the investigation into Hunter Biden’s laptop from Wikipedia.

Republicans have repeatedly criticized the FBI for its early handling of investigations into Hunter Biden as part of long-running theories about corruption in the Biden family and so-called “deep state” right-wing narratives about the federal government.

The two defendants made their first appearance in the federal district court in DC Friday morning. They will not be detained as they await trial.

A hearing for the former FBI officials is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Faruqui noted that both agents have “sparkling backgrounds” and told prosecutors the “alleged context happened years ago” and noted the prosecutors should be ready to move forward with the case given that they “brought this serious charge against two decorated agents.”

The judge also noted the charge was “rare” and made note that it was charged by complaint from prosecutors, and not approved by a grand jury.

Faruqui also said on the bench Friday the charges were “straight forward” and that the agents, with otherwise sterling records, are now charged in federal court, which will “follow them for the rest of their lives”

FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday that the charges are the result of an investigation into the since-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force.

He also says Floris is “on record privately claiming” to be running a shadow government.

“Floris led the FITF as a Deputy Assistant Director from mid-2019 through mid-2022. Benavides was the FITF Section Chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election,” he said on X. “Both testified that the FITF was not involved in the Hunter Biden investigations. Documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications, and witness accounts contradict their testimony.”

“Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law,” he continued.

Patel noted how during his time leading the FBI, the investigative squad known as CR-15 was dismantled. Patel has repeatedly been attacked for these firings because FBI officials lost their jobs for working on assignments related to past probes into Trump.

Defense attorneys for Floris, in a statement following her appearance in court, said she is being falsely accused “on the say-so of politicians” and “is a patriot.”

“It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election,” the lawyers said in their statement.

“The government’s reasons for charging Nikki are as transparent as they are unjust: to push a false narrative for a shot at political politics.”

The charges come less than two weeks before Election Day. Biden’s son Hunter was ultimately convicted of federal tax and gun charges then pardoned by his father around Thanksgiving in 2024.

And one conservative politician who is running for Michigan governor has repeatedly accused Floris of running a “shadow government” against Trump in 2020.

Trump and Republicans have accused the Bidens of corruption, especially after IRS whistleblowers claimed the FBI had slow-walked an investigation into Hunter Biden while his father was in office.

A special counsel thoroughly investigated the Republicans’ allegations against Hunter Biden and didn’t recommend any additional charges past the gun and tax charges. A separate government informant was charged by that special counsel, David Weiss, for providing false information alleging bribery in the Biden family.

This story was updated with additional reporting from court.

CNN’s Caitlin McCormack contributed to this report.

特稿：巴西总统选举牵动中美巴关系 中巴合作面临变数

2026-10-23 / 联合早报

• 巴西总统选举第二轮决选将于星期天举行，最新民调显示右翼候选人弗拉维奥支持率47%，现任总统卢拉46%。 – 受访学者分析指出，若右翼上台，巴西在政治与安全上将加速向美国靠拢，但中巴经贸纽带将限制对华政策大幅转向。 – 弗拉维奥曾批评非美元结算并主张重新评估巴西参与金砖的方式，但学者认为巴西不太可能退出，或转为选择性参与。 – 中国去年采购约8540万吨巴西大豆，占其全年出口量79%；巴西去年吸引中资约61亿美元，成为中国海外投资最大目的地。

巴西现任总统卢拉10月16日在米纳斯吉拉斯州茹伊斯-迪福拉市举行的竞选活动上向支持者举起大拇指示意。 （法新社）

巴西总统选举将在星期天（10月25日）举行第二轮决选。与美国总统特朗普关系友好的巴西前总统博索纳罗之子、右翼自由党总统候选人弗拉维奥·博索纳罗与现任巴西总统卢拉的支持率咬得很紧。路透社报道，最新民调显示，弗拉维奥第二轮投票支持率为47%，卢拉46%。弗拉维奥在首轮投票中以47.03%得票率领先卢拉的45.16%，但由于两人均未获得超过50%的有效选票，才有了第二轮角逐。

作为拉美面积最大、人口最多、经济体量最大的国家，巴西在地区内举足轻重。近年来，拉美多国右翼力量上升，南美政治版图明显出现变化。有西方媒体形容，若弗拉维奥胜选，特朗普将拿下“门罗主义”在西半球“最后一块南美拼图”。

博索纳罗家族与美国总统特朗普关系友好。图为特朗普在2020年3月7日于佛罗里达州棕榈滩的海湖庄园出席工作晚宴前，与时任巴西总统雅伊尔·博索纳罗合影留念。（路透社档案照）

受访学者分析指出，若右翼最终上台，巴西在政治与安全上将加速向美国靠拢，但中巴深厚的经贸与投资纽带，将限制巴西对华政策大幅转向；巴西不太可能退出金砖组织，但也可能不再积极推动合作。

在外交路线方面，45岁的弗拉维奥与80岁的卢拉形成鲜明对比。卢拉重视多边主义、金砖合作及全球南方国家的协调，积极推动中国投资巴西的能源、矿产、基础设施与科技领域。卢拉7月与中国国家主席习近平通话时，再次表达欢迎中企赴巴投资、深化人工智能等领域合作。

弗拉维奥较为亲美，他5月在华盛顿与特朗普会面后称，巴西拥有全球第二大稀土储量，若当选将与美国建立关键矿产战略伙伴关系，协助美国减少对中国稀土的依赖。弗拉维奥也试图强调经济务实，主张巴西不必在大国之间选边，并批评卢拉政府 “向美国宣战，却对中国谄媚讨好”。

弗拉维奥·博索纳罗10月18日在巴西圣保罗市保利斯塔大街举行的集会上。弗拉维奥在首轮投票中以47.03%得票率领先现任总统卢拉的45.16%。（法新社）

巴西政坛变局中最明显的“变”，预料体现在多边合作与敏感领域的政策调整。作为南美洲唯一的金砖成员国，巴西的立场牵动金砖内部协调与本币结算议题推进。弗拉维奥曾批评非美元结算，并表示将重新评估巴西是否留在金砖，必要时考虑退出。尽管这一表态未出现在他的竞选纲领中，但他仍主张重新评估巴西的参与方式。

受访学者认为，巴西不太可能退出金砖，变数在于未来是否降低参与度。巴西海军政治与战略研究中心研究员毛里西奥·桑托罗接受《联合早报》采访时指出，在弗拉维奥的父亲博索纳罗执政期间，巴西参与金砖积极性就较低，并曾尝试将合作议程转向公共安全等领域。

中国青年网报道，中国社会科学院拉丁美洲研究所助理研究员李兵也认为，弗拉维奥若当选，巴西退出金砖的可能性很小，但可能转为选择性参与，降低推动多边合作的意愿。他判断，中巴关系可能呈现“保经贸存量、降合作增量、弱战略联动”。

相比之下，中巴经贸联系的“压舱石”作用预料将持续。中国去年采购约8540万吨巴西大豆，占巴西全年大豆出口量的79%。铁矿石、石油和牛肉也是巴西对华出口重要商品，这牵动当地农业、矿业和能源行业的利益。最新数据显示，1月至9月，巴西超越沙特成为中国第二大石油供应国。

桑托罗指出，博索纳罗家族即使政治立场激进，也必须考虑来自农业、采矿和石油行业的压力，这些行业依赖中国市场。

此外，比亚迪、滴滴、吉利和华为等中国企业已深耕巴西市场，中资投资也从传统基础设施拓展至汽车、消费品与服务业。巴西中国商业理事会（CEBC）5月公布的数据显示，巴西去年成为中国海外投资的全球最大目的地，吸引中资约61亿美元（78亿新元），较前年增长45%。投资主要流向电力、矿业和汽车等领域。

中国汽车制造商比亚迪首款在巴西生产的插电式混合动力灵活燃料汽车今年8月4日在圣保罗州塞尔塔奥津霍举行的发布会上亮相。（路透社）

中国人民大学国际关系学院教授崔守军则认为，如果弗拉维奥当选，中巴经济合作可能变得更复杂。

他向本报分析，大宗商品贸易如大豆、铁矿石、石油等预计将延续；弗拉维奥强调欢迎能够“转让技术”的外资，因此电力、矿业和汽车等领域的一般性投资也未必会受到明显冲击。不过，巴西对华政策在支付体系、关键矿产和敏感行业投资审查等领域可能出现变化。弗拉维奥曾批评卢拉推动本币结算和发行人民币债券，并向美国贸易代表办公室提出，巴西即时支付系统PIX不应与“非西方”跨境结算安排对接，这涉及与中国银联的合作。

崔守军评估，在巴西的中企还可能面临更严格的新项目准入和并购审查；电信、数据等敏感行业的审查或将收紧，关键矿产项目可能面临更多来自美国资本的竞争；中企在巴西经营的政治风险与两国贸易摩擦或将增加。

从中美巴三方关系来看，巴西总统选举可能改变中巴政治互信的氛围及部分新兴领域的合作节奏，但不易撼动两国经贸联系基础。巴西瓦加斯基金会教授、卡内基国际和平基金会研究员奥利弗·施滕克尔在美国外交关系委员会10月发表的分析中说，巴西同时依赖中国和美国，“进一步向华盛顿或北京任何一方靠拢，都很难成为现实选项”。

至于巴西外交路线调整会否引发区域连锁效应，崔守军评估会造成“有限度”影响。他指出，中国是巴西、智利、秘鲁、乌拉圭等国重要贸易伙伴，这种结构性依存不会因政党轮替而改变，拉美右翼政府上台后普遍对华务实，阿根廷米莱政府就是例子。

他认为，乌拉圭外长的表态颇具代表性：中国显然是替代伙伴，但“我们不是和中国一起对抗美国”。崔守军判断，拉美区域对华策略是“对冲，而非选边”，巴西大选最值得关注的不是左右之分，而是巴西能否继续在中美之间保持战略自主、不选边站。