Magistrate Judge Dismisses Lying-to-Congress Case Against Two Former FBI Officials
A federal magistrate judge has dismissed the case against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden investigation, Fox News reports, calling the prosecution "weaponization."
Snapshot
Fox News reports that a magistrate judge tossed the complaint accusing two former FBI officials of lying to Congress in 2023 about the Hunter Biden inquiry, after earlier striking a flawed filing and questioning why prosecutors skipped a grand jury. Faruqui called the case weaponization and a rush job directed by Trump and Patel, and the article carried no response from the White House or the FBI.
Key points
- The ruling: U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui threw out the criminal complaint from the bench on Monday.
- The allegations: Prosecutors said the two gave false statements in 2023 congressional interviews about Hunter Biden's laptop and the FBI's handling of investigations involving him before the 2020 election.
- The judge's words: Faruqui said the case could only be described as "weaponization" and called it a "rush job" directed by President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel.
- Charging choice: He questioned why the government proceeded by criminal complaint instead of seeking a grand jury indictment.
- Earlier hearing: At a preliminary hearing the week before, Faruqui faulted prosecutors for an unsigned, unsworn complaint that tried to add obstruction charges without court approval, and he struck it from the record.
Quick take
Fox News notes that Republicans have long accused the FBI of mishandling Hunter Biden information before the 2020 election, alleging political bias, and that Faruqui, appointed a magistrate judge in 2020, has sharply criticized prosecutors in other Trump administration cases. Fox News Digital said it contacted the White House and the FBI for comment, and the article included no responses.
Read the full story at Fox News.