Judge drops case against ex-FBI agents over Hunter Biden laptop lies
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the complaint against Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, citing a rushed investigation and a political motive ahead of the midterms.
By Amelia Gupta ·
A federal judge in Washington D.C. dismissed a criminal complaint against two former FBI officials on Monday, ending the immediate legal threat against Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides. U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui ruled that the charges, which alleged the agents lied to Congress about their knowledge of Hunter Biden’s laptop, were based on critical mistakes and a clear political intent.
Faruqui described the case as a textbook example of weaponization by the Justice Department. He noted that the investigation was opened one day after President Donald Trump delivered a primetime speech criticizing his 2020 election loss. The judge argued that the timing, just days before the midterm elections, was not accidental. He stated that he would not pretend to ignore the proximity of the charges to the vote that determines congressional control.
The original complaint accused Floris and Benavides of falsely minimizing what they knew about a laptop that Hunter Biden left at a repair shop in Delaware in 2019. The agents led the FBI Foreign Influence Task Force, a unit disbanded by the current administration. Prosecutors claimed the agents lied during 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee to distance themselves from the laptop’s connection to potential Russian disinformation.
Faruqui found that the government failed to prove the statements were intentionally false. He said there was no direct evidence of a motive to deceive. During a three-day hearing, FBI agent Bryan Witt told the court that the investigation was viewed internally as a witch hunt and a huge distraction from his regular caseload in Kansas City. Witt also noted that FBI Director Kash Patel demanded constant updates, a practice he described as unusual.
The judge pointed to procedural errors in the complaint. One major mistake involved the claim that the agents gave sworn testimony when they were not actually under oath. Faruqui also criticized the department for filing an amended complaint with a new charge overnight without first seeking court approval. He questioned why prosecutors used a criminal complaint instead of seeking a grand jury indictment, a step often taken when there is an urgent need to detain a defendant.
Lawyers for Floris and Benavides called the dismissal a victory. They stated that the prosecution was a politically motivated smear campaign designed to score points before the election. Floris hugged supporters outside the courtroom after the ruling was read. The attorneys said the charges should never have been brought under the current department’s authority.
The dismissal does not permanently close the case. The Justice Department can still seek a grand jury indictment if it chooses. However, the department has struggled recently to get grand juries to approve politically charged prosecutions. The judge’s ruling stands as a sharp criticism of the investigative process and the timing of the legal action.
The laptop at the center of the case was first reported by the New York Post in October 2020. Its discovery became a focal point in the political debate over Hunter Biden’s business dealings. The FBI unit involved in the investigation has since been dissolved, leaving the former agents to navigate the aftermath of the legal battle.
