Judge scolds DOJ over case against ex-FBI officials accused of false statements about Hunter Biden's laptop
Summary
A federal magistrate judge criticized the Justice Department for filing an amended complaint against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides that added an obstruction charge without a judge’s signature. The officials face allegations that they made false statements to Congress about their knowledge of investigations involving Hunter Biden; their lawyers asked the court to strike the complaint.Key Facts
- Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui said unsigned complaints are not the court’s practice and expressed concern about the filing.
- The amended complaint added an obstruction charge shortly before a preliminary hearing in Washington, D.C.
- The new charge alleges the officials’ statements helped them avoid questioning and impeded a House investigation into the Bidens.
- Defense lawyers challenged the case’s use of a criminal complaint signed by a magistrate judge rather than a grand jury indictment.
- The judge was considering the defense request to strike the complaint; prosecutors could still seek a felony indictment if it were struck.
- The case concerns a since-disbanded FBI task force that monitored foreign influence.
- The laptop at the center of the case was reportedly left at a Delaware computer repair shop in 2019 and later became the subject of 2020 news reports.
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