Federal judge accuses administration of “weaponization” after throwing out charges against two former FBI officials accused of misleading Congress.
A federal judge delivered a stunning setback to President Donald Trump’s Justice Department on Monday, throwing out criminal charges against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden investigation — and accusing the administration of using the justice system for political purposes.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the criminal complaint against Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides following days of contentious hearings that exposed serious questions about how the FBI investigation was launched and how federal prosecutors pursued the charges.
“What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization,” Faruqui declared, according to Fox News and the New York Post.
The judge also characterized the prosecution as a “rush job,” taking aim at the involvement of Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel in an investigation that began years after the officials testified before Congress.
The ruling represents a high-profile defeat for an administration that has repeatedly promised to expose alleged political misconduct inside federal law enforcement.
Trump, Patel and a controversial investigation
The criminal case centered on allegations that Floris and Benavides misled congressional investigators in 2023 about their knowledge of the FBI’s handling of investigations involving Hunter Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
But testimony during last week’s hearings raised uncomfortable questions for prosecutors.
According to CBS News, FBI Special Agent Bryan Witt acknowledged that the investigation began following a July speech in which Trump revisited allegations of election interference.
Witt testified that Patel had directed the investigation and that he was concerned about its political appearance.
“I had concerns that this would be political,” Witt told the court.
The agent also described the assignment as a major distraction from his other investigative responsibilities.
The New York Post reported that Patel received weekly updates about the investigation, an unusually direct level of oversight for a case involving alleged false statements.
Prosecutors face a courtroom showdown
The controversy escalated when prosecutors attempted to introduce an additional obstruction charge through an amended criminal complaint.
Faruqui rejected that filing after determining that the government had submitted it without obtaining the necessary judicial approval.
The procedural dispute prompted a series of sharp exchanges between the judge and prosecutors, who were forced to defend their handling of the case.
According to Roll Call, Faruqui questioned why prosecutors had departed from established charging procedures and warned that their actions were strengthening the defense’s accusations of political motivation.
Monday’s ruling went further.
The judge concluded that the government had not established probable cause to support the false-statement charges, effectively ending the prosecution in its current form.
Trump administration had promised accountability
The dismissal is particularly striking given the administration’s aggressive public statements when the charges were first announced.
In an October 23 Justice Department announcement, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro argued that the allegations reflected serious misconduct by senior law enforcement officials.
“Lying to Congress by anyone strikes at the heart of our democratic system,” Pirro said.
Attorney General Todd Blanche also promised that the Justice Department would pursue government officials who broke federal law.
Patel accused former FBI personnel of engaging in political weaponization, saying his leadership would not tolerate abuses of public trust.
Those allegations remain disputed, and neither former official has been convicted of wrongdoing in the case.
Now, the administration faces a pointed accusation of weaponization from the very judge overseeing its attempt to prosecute alleged FBI misconduct.
The legal fight may not be finished.
The Justice Department could seek a grand jury indictment or pursue an appeal, according to The Washington Post. But Monday’s dismissal leaves prosecutors facing significant questions about their evidence, investigative decisions and political independence.
