On October 3, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that two former senior FBI officials, Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides, had been taken into custody on charges of lying to Congress about their involvement in the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden. Both testified that the now-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) was not involved in the Hunter Biden investigations. Patel added that Floris was also on record privately claiming to be “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election in her role on the FITF.
On Monday, Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the case, saying, "What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization.”
BREAKING: A judge dismisses a criminal complaint against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden. https://t.co/QyVNjax369
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 2, 2026
Another specious case bites the dust.
— David French (@DavidAFrench) November 2, 2026
MS NOW's Ken Dilanian, fresh off reporting on Patel landing in Russia, has more:
Breaking: Federal judge dismisses—and lambastes—the DOJ false statements case against two former FBI officials. Calls it “weaponization.” Judge Faruqui—a former federal prosecutor himself—said the government made a number of errors in their "slapdash job" of a case. He said there was no evidence presented before the court that the FBI agents' statements were knowingly false or material. He said the government failed to establish a motive for why the agents would make false statements. He told prosecutors it was "incredibly unfair" that the DOJ sent into court with such a weak case. "This does not feel like an investigation," Faruqui said. "It feels like a broken one-wish willow obsession." He added that he was "deeply troubled by what has happened here in this case," and that what happened "cannot be described as anything other than weaponization." "It was a rush to charge, and that was a mistake," Faruqui said of the case.
— Ken Dilanian (@KDilanianMSNOW) November 2, 2026
The post continues:
… there was no evidence presented before the court that the FBI agents' statements were knowingly false or material. He said the government failed to establish a motive for why the agents would make false statements. He told prosecutors it was "incredibly unfair" that the DOJ sent into court with such a weak case. "This does not feel like an investigation," Faruqui said. "It feels like a broken one-wish willow obsession." He added that he was "deeply troubled by what has happened here in this case," and that what happened "cannot be described as anything other than weaponization." "It was a rush to charge, and that was a mistake," Faruqui said of the case.
Oh, the judge was "deeply troubled."
@KDilanianMSNOW I don’t think anyone surprised being this was an Obama appointee.
— Tired of being politically correct (@USBornNRaised) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW Magistrate Judge - lowest level in the federal judge hierarchy.
— S. Easland (@sdeasland1) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW Will be overturned. This “judge” is a total joke.
— Lhop (@Lhop963) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW They literally admitted it, in writing, in an email. The only thing that happened here was a judge running cover for democrats. Just like you do on a routine basis.
— Smells Like Teen Statism (@BlueEightySix) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW "No evidence" my behind, the prosecution has emails proving they lied to Congress not to mention the one agent boasted of running a "shadow government." Another corrupt anti-Trump judge mocks justice. https://t.co/Kj6SB2xJCx
— Peter Torkamada (@PTorkamata) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW Contemporaneous internal emails, messages, and records = No evidence. I wonder how many individuals that have been convicted or in court currently will now have to be aquitted?
— Jim Bitters (@monemavasia) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW Will be appealed there was emails from them expressing their crime
— Josh Bradley (@JbradleydJosh) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW Not a judge https://t.co/shflcg5A98
— Stoic Logic (@BoltCarriers) November 2, 2026
Zia Faruqui— and my longtime followers are familiar with his name—is a magistrate judge. Not appointed by the president, not confirmed by the Senate. He signed hundreds of J6 arrest warrants including on the unlawful 1512c2 charge. He refused to release Couy Griffin, accused of 2 misdemeanors, from custody. Last year, he actually apologized to a guy accused of pointing lasers at Secret Service agents and the president’s helicopter after he was charged. Once again - the abject failure of Congressional Republicans to hold ANY of these judges accountable continues to reverberate in the hopelessly corrupt, unaccountable DC courthouse.
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) November 2, 2026
The post continues:
… 2 misdemeanors, from custody.
Last year, he actually apologized to a guy accused of pointing lasers at Secret Service agents and the president’s helicopter after he was charged.
Once again - the abject failure of Congressional Republicans to hold ANY of these judges accountable continues to reverberate in the hopelessly corrupt, unaccountable DC courthouse.
@KDilanianMSNOW The only weaponized thing in that courtroom was the magistrate. He has been a political toy of the marxist left for years.
— Robert Crewdson (@Patrickhenrynow) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW “Broken one-wish willow obsession?” For the love of God, can we please do something to make these judges stop trying to show off their pop culture “cool” in their judicial pontificating? It’s cringey as fuck and presents as deeply unserious.
— Vin Sidious (@VinSidious) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW @barnes_law Since when is motive of any relevance?
— DesRon5 (@patrickbec) November 2, 2026
@AP Did anyone think they wouldn't get away with it?
— Peter L. D. (@PeterDeGiglio) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW You have as much credibility as this fucking magistrate. Get fucked.
— Augustus McCrae (@McCrae18509) November 2, 2026
@KDilanianMSNOW That judge is a bigger hack than you!
— El Hombre (@ElHombre1836) November 2, 2026
Catherine Herridge notes that the dismissal does not permanently bar prosecution and that the Justice Department may still present the case to a grand jury for indictment.
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