Judge dismisses case against former FBI officials over Hunter Biden probe

A federal judge dismissed criminal charges against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who were accused of lying to Congress regarding investigations into Hunter Biden's laptop.

Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui tossed the case on Monday, stating that prosecutors failed to prove the two former officials knowingly made false statements. According to The Guardian, the judge found that some of the officials' comments were not actually false, while others appeared to be honest memory lapses rather than intentional lies. Floris and Benavides had been charged last month with making false statements during 2023 testimony before the House judiciary committee.

The ruling included sharp criticism of the Justice Department's conduct. NPR reported that Judge Faruqui accused the department of "weaponization" and noted he was "deeply troubled" by the rushed nature of the case. The judge specifically pointed out the timing of the charges, which were brought only 10 days before the midterm elections, remarking that he would not ignore the calendar regarding the sensitive timeframe.

The legal proceedings revealed that the investigation into the two officials began following a presidential address in July. The Guardian reported that FBI Director Kash Patel tasking the Kansas City field office with scrutinizing Floris after she questioned an intelligence report about Chinese interference in the 2020 election. Al Jazeera noted that the dismissal adds to existing tensions over Department of Justice actions leading up to the upcoming elections.

Background

Floris and Benavides were part of an FBI taskforce established after the 2016 election to monitor foreign influence. The team had previously raised concerns that Russia might use information from Hunter Biden’s laptop as part of a disinformation campaign during the 2020 election cycle.