Judge tosses case against ex-FBI officials, cites DOJ weaponization
The gist
A federal magistrate judge dismissed criminal charges against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress.
The ruling lands one day before midterms and faults the probe as political.
How it unfolded
- 2023Floris and Benavides told the House Judiciary Committee what they knew about FBI investigations into Hunter Biden; the alleged false statements date to this year.
- Jul 2026Trump gave a primetime address repeating false 2020 election fraud claims and urging the FBI to investigate; the probe into Floris and Benavides opened on Kash Patel's orders the next day.
- Oct 23, 2026The Justice Department unveiled allegations against the two via a criminal complaint rather than a grand jury indictment.