A federal magistrate judge in Washington dismissed charges on Monday against former FBI intelligence officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who had been accused of lying to Congress. Judge Zia M. Faruqui said prosecutors had failed to demonstrate probable cause that a crime had been committed.
During an emotional hourlong statement from the bench, Faruqui characterized the prosecution as rushed and politically motivated, saying it had been ordered by the White House to influence the upcoming midterm elections. The officials were charged two weeks earlier with falsely minimizing their work on investigations involving Hunter Biden, the son of the former president.
Faruqui sharply criticized the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, accusing prosecutors of attempting to bypass basic safeguards in the criminal justice system. He also apologized to Floris and Benavides for being forced to endure the charging process after decades of service to the federal government.
“I am deeply troubled by what happened here in the case,” Faruqui said, describing the events as “weaponization.”
The dismissal represents the latest setback for the Justice Department amid President Trump’s demands for action against people who have come into conflict with him. In recent months, judges and grand juries have repeatedly rejected the department’s efforts to prosecute the president’s opponents.
The case had also reflected a broader dispute between the FBI’s current leadership and former agents who were removed from the bureau over allegations of disloyalty to Trump.
Sources: The New York Times Politics.