A magistrate judge in federal court dismissed criminal charges against two former FBI officials on grounds that prosecutors failed to demonstrate probable cause that Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides knowingly made false statements, according to a ruling handed down on Monday.
The former officials faced charges related to testimony they provided to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 concerning the FBI’s involvement in examining a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui stated that some of the statements in question were not actually false and that others could be attributed to honest memory lapses rather than intentional deception. The judge also criticized federal prosecutors for rushing the prosecution and making critical errors in their case preparation.
Faruqui suggested the timing of the charges raised concerns about prosecutorial motivation, noting that the indictment came approximately 10 days before midterm elections. The judge stated during the hearing that the situation “cannot be described as anything other than weaponization” and declined to overlook what he characterized as a problematic timeline.
Floris and Benavides had served on an FBI taskforce examining potential foreign interference in American politics. The taskforce was established following the 2016 presidential election to investigate Russian interference concerns and continued operating through the 2020 election cycle. They had raised concerns about potential Russian disinformation efforts related to Hunter Biden’s laptop during that period.
While this particular case has been dismissed, prosecutors retain the option to pursue charges again by presenting evidence to a grand jury for potential reindictment. The dismissal represents one in a series of legal setbacks the Justice Department has experienced under the current administration, despite efforts to pursue individuals viewed as adversaries by the Trump administration.
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