A federal magistrate judge dismissed a criminal complaint against former senior FBI counterintelligence officials
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed a criminal complaint against former senior FBI counterintelligence officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, accused of lying to Congress about the bureau’s Hunter Biden investigation, finding no probable cause. Faruqui called the investigation rushed and said the case amounted to “weaponization.” The Justice Department may still pursue a grand jury indictment.
More context
A federal magistrate judge on Monday dismissed a criminal complaint accusing former senior FBI counterintelligence officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides of lying to Congress about their roles in the bureau’s Hunter Biden investigation. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui said prosecutors had not established probable cause and described the inquiry as rushed. “What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization,” Faruqui said, according to The Associated Press. The complaint alleged Floris and Benavides misled the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 about their work on the FBI’s Hunter Biden investigations and Foreign Influence Task Force. At a preliminary hearing last week, an FBI agent testified that he worried the investigation, which was directed by FBI Director Kash Patel, would be viewed as political. The Justice Department may still seek a grand jury indictment, AP reported.
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Reporting
- The Hill — Ex-FBI officials' charges dropped related to Hunter Biden laptop probe
- NBC4 Washington — Judge dismisses case against ex-FBI agents in Hunter Biden probe – NBC4 Washington
- PBS News (with Associated Press) — Judge dismisses charges against ex-FBI agents accused of lying about Hunter Biden, citing 'weaponization' | PBS News
- NBC Chicago — Judge dismisses case against ex-FBI agents in Hunter Biden probe – NBC Chicago
- United Press International — Judge tosses case against former FBI officials accused of perjury
- CBS News — Judge dismisses case against 2 ex-FBI officials in Hunter Biden probe - CBS News
- wgme.com — Judge dismisses case against ex-FBI officials accused of lying about Hunter Biden probe
- wltx.com — Judge dismisses charges against ex-FBI agents accused of lying about Hunter Biden
Verifier’s note
The Hill, NBC Washington, PBS, WGME, WLTX, NBC Chicago, UPI, and CBS all report the same-day dismissal of charges against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides. Their accounts say the judge found insufficient probable cause, consistent with the proposed event.