A federal judge has dismissed the criminal case against two former senior FBI officials accused of lying about their involvement in investigations concerning Hunter Biden.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the case Monday, finding that prosecutors had not presented sufficient evidence that Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides knowingly made false statements.
During the hearing, Faruqui sharply criticized the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation, describing it as rushed, saying it involved “critical mistakes” and departed from normal procedures. “What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization” of federal law enforcement, he said.
Faruqui also suggested that high-ranking officials sought to bring the charges last month to influence the midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. “I will not bury my head in the sand and pretend I cannot read a calendar,” he said.
