The effort by the Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) to hold two former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials accountable for allegedly lying to Congress about Hunter Biden just hit a brick wall, courtesy of a federal judge who accused federal prosecutors of political "weaponization."
On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the criminal complaint against Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, two former senior officials with the FBI who were accused of misleading the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 about what they knew of the bureau's investigation into Hunter Biden and his infamous laptop.
Faruqui ruled that the prosecutors had failed to establish probable cause that the duo had knowingly made false statements to Congress. The judge also blasted the DOJ's handling of the case, saying the investigation had been rushed and procedural missteps had been made. He also voiced concerns about possible political motivations.
BREAKING: Judge dismisses case against ex-FBI agents accused of lying to Congress in its Hunter Biden investigation, marking yet another loss for Trump’s DOJ. https://t.co/Sq10pTXMOI
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 2, 2026
As RedState previously reported, Floris and Benavides were charged on October 23 after prosecutors alleged they had concealed their knowledge of the FBI's Hunter Biden investigations during congressional interviews.
Floris allegedly denied participating in any discussions about Hunter Biden while serving on the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force (which has since been disbanded). Benavides, meanwhile, claimed he first learned of the FBI's possession of Hunter Biden's laptop from Wikipedia in 2023.
The case ran afoul of the judge last week when prosecutors attempted to add an obstruction charge through a botched amended complaint. RedState covered that development, too, which resulted in a sharp rebuke from Faruqui, who struck that filing from the record.
Monday's ruling can only be seen as a significant setback for the Trump administration's efforts to hold the FBI accountable for its handling of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal ahead of the 2020 election, but the case may not be over yet.
Prosecutors can still appeal or seek an indictment from a federal grand jury.
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