Judge drops case against ex-FBI officials
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the Justice Department's charges against Bradley Benavides and Nikki Floris, calling the investigation a form of weaponization.
By Carlos Rousseau ·
U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the federal criminal case against two former FBI officials on Monday. The decision ended the Justice Department's pursuit of Bradley Benavides and Nikki Floris, who faced charges of lying to Congress in 2023.
The case centered on the two officials' knowledge of the FBI's investigations into Hunter Biden. Faruqui described the government's handling of the matter as rushed and full of errors during a hearing in Washington, D.C.
"I am deeply troubled by what has happened here," Faruqui said from the bench. "What transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization."
The judge pointed to the timeline of the investigation, which began the day after President Trump gave a primetime address in mid-July. In that speech, Trump urged the FBI to look into the 2020 election while repeating claims of fraud.
Faruqui noted that the alleged false statements were made to Congress in 2023. The department waited three years to act. It filed charges roughly two weeks before the midterm elections. This timing conflicted with internal department policies that discourage actions designed to influence an election.
The judge also criticized the use of a criminal complaint instead of a grand jury indictment. Criminal complaints are typically reserved for urgent situations like imminent danger or flight risks, none of which applied here.
"I will not bury my head in the sand and pretend I cannot read a calendar," Faruqui said. "I will not lobotomize myself that way."
A Justice Department spokesperson disagreed with the ruling, stating that the decision implies high-ranking officials are immune from accountability for false statements to Congress. The department said it is evaluating all options, including an appeal or taking the case to a grand jury.
After the hearing, former FBI officials gathered outside the courtroom to support Benavides and Floris. Attorney Margaret Donovan, representing Floris, said the case should never have been brought. She described the complaint as a "slap-dash" effort driven by "Hunter Biden conspiracy fever dream."
Faruqui ruled that prosecutors are free to pursue a grand jury or appeal the decision to the district's chief judge. The dismissal leaves the two former officials without criminal charges for the time being.
