Judge dismisses complaint against former FBI officials

Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the criminal complaint against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides on November 2, finding the government had not established probable cause to proceed. The complaint accused them of making false statements to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 about their knowledge of FBI inquiries involving Hunter Biden. The ruling does not determine whether their testimony was truthful. Faruqui issued the decision after a preliminary hearing that included three days of testimony. He said the evidence did not sufficiently show that Floris or Benavides knowingly made false statements. The allegations were brought through a criminal complaint, not a grand jury indictment, and both officials remained accused rather than convicted of wrongdoing. The judge also criticized the investigation and the government’s handling of the case. He questioned its timing, noting that the challenged testimony was from 2023 and the complaint was filed shortly before the November midterm elections. Faruqui raised concerns about FBI Director Kash Patel’s role in directing or monitoring the inquiry. FBI Special Agent Bryan Witt testified that Patel had...