Judge dismisses case against two former FBI officials

A federal magistrate judge dismissed charges against Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about their knowledge of the Hunter Biden investigation. The reports describe the judge’s criticism of the prosecution and its handling of the case; the available centre-side report provides fewer details.

• Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed charges against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who were accused of lying to Congress about the bureau’s Hunter Biden investigation.· 3 sources
• Prosecutors alleged the officials made false statements in congressional interviews in 2023 about what they knew and did.· 2 sources
• Faruqui criticized the prosecution’s handling of the case, including its use of a criminal complaint rather than a grand jury indictment and an attempt to add a charge without prior judicial approval.· 1 source
• The New York Post reports that the case followed a two-day probable-cause hearing and that the judge assessed the alleged statements individually.· 1 source
• The Hill’s available report confirms the dismissal and identifies the accusations as concerning the officials’ involvement in the federal laptop investigation, but its supplied excerpt gives no further details.· 1 source