Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the prosecution after finding the Justice Department failed to demonstrate that Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides intentionally misled the House Judiciary Committee. The judge specifically criticized prosecutors for resorting to an urgent criminal complaint on October 23 instead of securing a grand jury indictment. Faruqui previously refused to authorize a superseding complaint that sought to add an obstruction charge against the former officials. Defense attorneys welcomed the ruling, though Benavides's counsel voiced concern that the government might still attempt to present the case to a grand jury.
Key points
The court determined that the Department of Justice lacked probable cause and improperly…: The court determined that the Department of Justice lacked probable cause and improperly accelerated the case prior to the midterm election.
Judge Faruqui apologized to the government's courtroom attorneys for being assigned to de…: Judge Faruqui apologized to the government's courtroom attorneys for being assigned to defend what he termed a slapdash prosecution.
Defense counsel praised the dismissal while urging the government not to revive the alleg…: Defense counsel praised the dismissal while urging the government not to revive the allegations behind closed doors with a grand jury.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
A federal judge on Monday blasted the Department of Justice for "weaponization" as he dismissed its case accusing two former FBI officials of lying to Congress about investigations into Hunter Biden, multiple news outlets reported.
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, in a hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, reportedly tore into the DOJ over its "slapdash job" prosecuting ex-officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, saying he was "deeply troubled by what has happened here."
Faruqui said the government lacked probable cause and failed to present evidence that the officials' statements before the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 were knowingly false, MS NOW reported.
He also accused the DOJ of wrongly rushing the case ahead of the midterm election. The situation "cannot be described as anything other than weaponization," he said, according to MS NOW.
The judge even apologized to the government's lawyers, calling it "incredibly unfair" that they were assigned to defend the flawed case.
"This does not feel like an investigation," Faruqui reportedly added. "It feels like a broken one-wish willow obsession."
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Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui halted the prosecution of Bradley Benavides and Nikki Floris following a multi-day hearing to evaluate probable cause for charges brought right before midterm elections. The ruling sharply criticized prosecutors for bypassing a grand jury and relying on an irregular criminal complaint despite waiting three years to act on statements regarding Hunter Biden probes. This decision exposes significant procedural vulnerabilities in politically sensitive federal cases initiated under direct e…