Judge Faruqui dismissed an obstruction-related complaint against former FBI officials
Federal Judge Faruqui dismissed on Tuesday a new obstruction complaint against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, accused of lying to Congress about an investigation into Hunter Biden. He said he had not reviewed it for probable cause, called filing it without judicial review unprecedented and said he did not doubt prosecutors acted in good faith.
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Federal Judge Faruqui on Tuesday dismissed a new obstruction-related complaint filed against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who are accused of lying to Congress about an investigation involving Hunter Biden. Prosecutors placed the complaint on the public court docket, adding allegations of obstruction and attempted obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
Judge Faruqui said he had not reviewed the complaint to determine whether there was probable cause, calling its filing without judicial review unprecedented. He questioned why the Justice Department had not followed its usual process in the district and said the filing raised concerns about the department’s motivations. Faruqui said he did not doubt prosecutors acted in good faith but worried the system was being misused by people in higher levels. He called the case “a sideshow on top of a sideshow.”
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Verifier’s note
UPI reports that the judge tossed the new obstruction charges, and NBC News reports the dismissal and the judge’s criticism of the Justice Department’s handling. Both match the proposed event and were published on October 27, 2026.