Judge Dismisses Case Against Ex-FBI Officials Over Hunter Biden Testimony
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui ruled prosecutors failed to prove probable cause, citing timing concerns just days before the November midterms.
By Sophie Costa ·
Two former FBI officials will not face criminal charges for allegedly lying to Congress about the bureau's role in the Hunter Biden laptop investigation. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the case on Monday, ruling that federal prosecutors did not establish probable cause that Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides knowingly made false statements.
The dismissal comes ten days before the midterm elections. Faruqui noted that some of the statements in question were not false, while others resulted from honest memory errors. The judge criticized the prosecution for rushing the process and making critical mistakes.
Floris and Benavides served on an FBI taskforce focused on foreign influence in American politics. The unit was created after the 2016 election to address concerns about Russian interference. In 2023, the pair testified before the House Judiciary Committee regarding the bureau's examination of a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden. At the time, the taskforce had raised alarms that Russia might use the laptop to support Donald Trump's 2020 campaign.
Faruqui stated that the timing of the indictment suggested intent. "What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization," Faruqui said during the hearing. "I will not bury my head in the sand and pretend I cannot read a calendar." The judge implied prosecutors chose the sensitive window before the election to exert pressure.
An FBI agent testified last week that the probe into Floris and Benavides began after President Trump's July address on election security. In that speech, Trump announced the FBI would investigate whether intelligence agencies suppressed information about Chinese meddling in 2020. The following day, FBI Director Kash Patel assigned the Kansas City field office to review Floris. She had previously cast doubt on an intelligence report claiming China sought to boost Joe Biden's chances against Trump.
The Justice Department has indicted individuals viewed as adversaries since Trump returned to office in January 2025. While this specific complaint against Floris and Benavides has been dismissed, prosecutors retain the option to seek a grand jury review to approve new charges.
Source: The Guardian
