Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed charges against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides.

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides faced legal action after allegations that they misled Congress in 2023. The accusations centered on their knowledge of a laptop Hunter Biden reportedly left at a Delaware repair shop in 2019. The case remained a subject of political debate until a judge dismissed it on November 2, 2026. An agent testified that Director Patel ordered the inquiry and monitored its progress.

1. Judge Zia Faruqui ruled on November 2, 2026, that the government failed to present evidence that statements made by Floris and Benavides before the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 were knowingly false. The judge stated the government lacked probable cause for the charges.

2. Attorneys for the former FBI officials characterized the prosecution as a "spaghetti-at-the-wall, Hunter-Biden-conspiracy fever dream."

3. Judge Faruqui criticized the Justice Department for filing an amended complaint with an additional charge without first clearing the action with the court. He noted this procedural failure as part of his reasoning for the dismissal.

4. The judge labeled the prosecution a "weaponization." The judge expressed concern that officials rushed the case before the midterm elections.

1. The Department of Justice stated on November 2, 2026, that it disagrees with the dismissal and is currently evaluating its options.

2. Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson alleged that a 2020 briefing by officials Floris and Benavides aimed to undermine their investigation into the Biden administration. The senators claimed the officials sought to link the investigation to Russian disinformation.

3. Prosecutors obtained a criminal complaint against the two former officials on October 23, 2026, rather than seeking a grand jury indictment.

4. An FBI agent testified that the investigation into Floris and Benavides began in July 2026. FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the inquiry. Patel monitored the investigation's progress closely.