Judge slams 'weaponized' Hunter Biden probe as charges against FBI officials dropped

Federal criminal charges against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden were thrown out on Monday by a federal judge who condemned the government inquiry as rushed, overtly political, and marred by "critical mistakes.""What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization," U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui declared in a scathing bench ruling that formally dismissed the federal criminal case against former officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides.He observed that law enforcement opened the investigation the day after a primetime address delivered by President Donald Trump, during which he revisited grievances surrounding his 2020 election defeat. The judge noted that the probe was commissioned and closely monitored by FBI Director Kash Patel. Faruqui added that while the case originates from statements delivered in 2023, the Justice Department chose to bring charges just two weeks ago, in the immediate run-up to Tuesday's midterm voting process."I will not bury my head in the sand and pretend that I cannot read a calendar," Faruqui said.The bench ruling followed a dramatic courtroom hearing on Monday where the judge reprimanded prosecutors over unusual procedural maneuvers, and an investigating FBI agent testified to having personal concerns that the probe would be viewed as "political."Defense attorneys for the former officials had aggressively sought a full dismissal of the charges. While federal prosecutors could still attempt to secure an indictment from a grand jury, the ruling represents a significant defeat for the Justice Department, particularly given its repeated struggles to convince grand juries in the nation's capital city to return indictments in high-profile, politically sensitive cases.The judge's skepticism regarding the case emerged early in the proceedings, particularly when he raised questions about why prosecutors chose to file a criminal complaint, a mechanism typically reserved for urgent situations requiring investigators to take a defendant into custody, rather than obtaining a formal indictment requiring prior approval by a grand jury.During a preliminary hearing last week, Faruqui also admonished the Justice Department for unexpectedly submitting an amended complaint containing an additional criminal charge directly to the court docket overnight, without first seeking prior court authorization — an action he noted he had never previously witnessed.At the hearing, an FBI agent who worked directly on the case testified that the probe commenced immediately after Trump delivered a speech on election security last July. The agent confirmed that FBI Director Kash Patel mandated the inquiry and kept close watch over its progress.(AP)The government accused the two former officials of misleading congressional lawmakers in 2023 regarding their involvement in, and knowledge of, an investigation into a laptop computer that prosecutors say was left by Hunter Biden, former President Joe Biden's son, at a Delaware computer repair shop back in 2019.The prosecution also reflected long-standing complaints from Trump and his Republican allies, who contend that the FBI attempted to suppress details during the 2020 presidential campaign that might harm the Biden family. Candidate Joe Biden, a Democrat, ultimately defeated Trump, the Republican incumbent, in the 2020 election.In its court filings, the Justice Department specifically noted, for example, that Floris and Benavides conducted a 2020 "defensive briefing" for lawmakers. Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin have argued that this briefing was intended to undermine their own probe into the Biden administration by linking it to Russian disinformation.