A federal magistrate judge threw out charges against two former FBI intelligence officials accused of lying to Congress on Monday, ruling prosecutors failed to show probable cause that crimes were committed. In an emotional bench address, Judge Zia M. Faruqui called the case a rushed political prosecution ordered by the White House to affect the midterm elections.
The officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were charged with falsely minimizing their work on Hunter Biden investigations. Judge Faruqui excoriated the U.S. attorney's office for bypassing fundamental checks and balances, apologizing to the officials for being "dragged through the process." He called the situation "weaponization." The dismissal marks the latest Justice Department failure following President Trump's demands for revenge against his enemies. The case stemmed from the officials' 2023 testimony about FBI investigations involving Hunter Biden and his laptop.
Judge Faruqui dismantled the government's case, noting most alleged false statements were not actually false, were not made knowingly, and had no material effect on the congressional investigation. Both officials served on the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force, which monitored foreign government manipulation of American politics. Former FBI agents fired by Director Kash Patel attended the court proceedings to cheer the dismissal.
The ruling highlights the ongoing tension between current FBI leadership and agents purged for supposed disloyalty to Mr. Trump.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing