Judge Dismisses Case Against Two Ex-FBI Agents Over Biden Laptop

A federal magistrate judge in Washington has dismissed the entire case against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden’s laptop. According to the New York Post ^[1], US Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui ruled that the charges against Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides could not be described as anything other than a weaponization of the Justice Department. The ruling follows a two-day probable cause hearing that scrutinized the government's pursuit of the former agents.

The case centered on whether the pair downplayed their knowledge of the bureau’s Hunter Biden probes during 2023 interviews with the House Judiciary Committee. CBS News reported ^[3] that Faruqui delivered a scathing, hour-long oral decision, stating that the complaint lacked probable cause and eroded public confidence in the DOJ. The criminal complaint had accused Floris and Benavides of falsely suggesting they were unaware of investigations surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Defense lawyers vigorously challenged the government’s narrative, arguing that the agents were merely overworked bureaucrats rather than liars. Margaret Donovan, Floris’ attorney, depicted her client as supervising between 200 and 300 employees, with numbers rising to 600 after her promotion. She argued that stray messages about Hunter Biden were bound to slip through the cracks of such a demanding role. The New York Post noted ^[1] that Donovan contended it was unfair to cherry-pick five or six conversations out of hundreds of thousands reviewed by investigators.

The hearing also featured intense cross-examination of FBI Special Agent Bryan Witt, the government’s only witness. Witt testified that agents reviewed Floris’ internal communications line by line, but defense attorneys highlighted the semantic nuances of her testimony. Floris had told the committee she did not participate in the investigation, a defense Donovan argued could be true depending on the definition of involvement and the specific probe referenced. Ron Safer, Benavides’ lawyer, argued that his client might have misspoken but not lied, pointing to Witt’s uncertainty about the committee’s partisan makeup.

Emotions ran high outside the courtroom, where Floris and Benavides were seen embracing and crying. Former FBI leaders, including Acting Director Brian Driscoll, stood with them after the dismissal. The Independent confirmed ^[2] that the judge’s decision effectively ends the highest-level prosecution of federal officials stemming from the laptop saga. With the case tossed, the Justice Department faces renewed scrutiny over its handling of the investigation and its decision to pursue charges that failed to meet the legal threshold for probable cause.