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Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed criminal charges against Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, stating prosecutors failed to show probable cause of false statements.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
A federal judge dismissed criminal charges on Monday against two former FBI officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who were accused of making false statements to Congress regarding an investigation into Hunter Biden.
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui ruled that federal prosecutors failed to establish probable cause that the two former officials had knowingly made false statements. Faruqui stated, "Without motive, without direct evidence, I have nothing," and noted that some of the statements in question were not actually false or could be attributed to "honest mistakes of memory."
During the hearing, the judge criticized the prosecution for being a "slapdash job" and suggested the timing of the charges was politically motivated. Faruqui said, "What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization," adding, "I will not bury my head in the sand and pretend I cannot read a calendar," in reference to the charges being brought 10 days before the midterm elections.
Floris and Benavides were charged with making false statements to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023. The investigation focused on the bureau's role in examining the contents of a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, the son of former president Joe Biden.
Testimony from FBI Special Agent Bryan Witt revealed the probe was initiated following a July address by President Donald Trump, during which he alleged intelligence agencies had suppressed information regarding Chinese meddling in the 2020 election. Witt testified that the investigation was directed by FBI Director Kash Patel and acknowledged that he feared the probe would be viewed as "political."
The Justice Department issued a statement saying it "disagrees with the Magistrate’s decision, which remarkably appears to suggest that high-ranking government officials are immune from accountability for making materially false statements to Congress." The DOJ added, "We are evaluating all options but cannot comment further on an ongoing criminal investigation."
Attorneys for the former officials expressed different views on the dismissal:
While the complaint was dismissed, prosecutors may still seek to charge the individuals by asking a grand jury to review the evidence and approve new charges.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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