A federal magistrate judge on Monday dismissed a criminal complaint against two former senior FBI counterintelligence officials, ruling that the prosecution lacked probable cause and exhibited signs of political weaponization. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui delivered the scathing, hour-long oral ruling from the bench.
Case Background and Ruling
The dismissed case involved former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who had been charged with lying to Congress regarding their roles in the bureau's investigation surrounding Hunter Biden and related allegations of Biden family corruption. Prosecutors had accused the pair of falsely suggesting they were unaware of federal investigations concerning Hunter Biden.
During Monday's hearing, Judge Faruqui criticized the Justice Department and the FBI for bringing a "slapdash" case built on assumptions rather than direct evidence or a plausible motive. Highlighting timing ahead of midterm elections, the judge stated the prosecution could not be viewed "as anything other than weaponization" and concluded that the filing lacked the evidentiary foundation required to move forward.
