Federal judge tosses politically charged case against former FBI officials over Hunter Biden testimony
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U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui threw out the criminal case accusing two ex-FBI officials of lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden laptop investigation, saying prosecutors came in with too little evidence and troubling procedural missteps.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed a criminal case against former senior FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides on Monday, ruling that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to move forward. The judge also sharply rebuked the Department of Justice for filing an amended complaint without first getting court approval, calling it a procedural move he said he had never seen before.
Faruqui said the case looked hurried and excessively political, and voiced alarm that it was brought so close to the upcoming midterm elections. He said, "I will not bury my head in the sand and pretend I cannot read a calendar," and added that he would not "lobotomize" himself by ignoring the timing.
The indictment alleged that Floris and Benavides misled Congress in 2023 about what they knew and how involved they were in an investigation into a laptop reportedly dropped off at a Delaware tech shop in 2019 by Hunter Biden. An FBI agent testified that the investigation into the two officials began in July of the previous year under the direction of FBI Director Kash Patel.
While the Justice Department may still try to pursue a grand jury indictment, Faruqui's early dismissal and his concerns about how the case was handled create significant obstacles for any further prosecution.