US judge tosses UNSIGNED midnight charges against ex-FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden's laptop
Hunter Biden, whose laptop investigation led to the charges against two ex-FBI officials dismissed after prosecutors filed an unsigned, unsworn complaint onto the public docket in the middle of the night.
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed new obstruction charges against ex-FBI officials Nikki Floris, 46, and Bradley Benavides, 56, after prosecutors filed an unsigned, unsworn superseding complaint straight onto the public court docket in the middle of the night without seeking prior judicial approval. Floris broke down in tears as Faruqui described the filing as unprecedented and said it had raised serious doubts in his mind about the Justice Department's true intentions. The pair had originally been arrested last week on charges of making false statements to Congress concerning their involvement in the Hunter Biden laptop investigation.
Faruqui said: 'We have never had complaints filed that are unsigned — it is inappropriate and harms the defendants.'
An FBI agent separately told the court he had feared the prosecution would appear to be a 'witch hunt', raising fresh doubts about the case's foundations.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro had announced the original charges, vowing to 'bring the hammer of justice down' on senior agents who 'choose deception over duty.'
