A federal magistrate judge on Monday dropped the criminal case against two former FBI agents who were charged with lying to Congress.

Last month, two former senior FBI officials were arrested and charged with lying to Congress about their involvement in the Hunter Biden investigation.

Nikki Cole Floris, 46, of Alexandria, Virginia, and Bradley Benavides, 56, of Aiken, South Carolina, were taken into custody and charged with making false statements about the Hunter Biden laptop investigation.

Floris also privately boasted about “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election.

“Evidence shows that Floris discussed the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden routinely for more than a year both within the FITF and with others in the FBI. Contrary to his assertion that he learned of the Hunter Biden laptop from Wikipedia, Benavides regularly discussed the laptop with FBI officials in the leadup to the 2020 election,” the DOJ said.

Floris and Benavides both falsely testified that the FBI Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) was not involved in the Hunter Biden laptop investigation.

Two former senior FBI officials, Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides, were taken into custody today on charges of allegedly lying to Congress about their involvement in the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden.

The charges stem from an ongoing investigation into the since-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force.

Floris led the FITF as a Deputy Assistant Director from mid-2019 through mid-2022. Benavides was the FITF Section Chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election. Both testified that the FITF was not involved in the Hunter Biden investigations. Documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications, and witness accounts contradict their testimony.

Floris is also on record privately claiming to be “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election in her role on the FITF.

Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law.

The FBI has already dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad that engaged in political weaponization targeting their opponents, including President Trump.

Thanks to @TheJusticeDept @FBIKansasCity and @USAttyPirro.

-DKP

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) October 23, 2026

Far-left magistrate judge Zia Faruqui on Monday blasted the Justice Department for a series of errors in a “slapdash job” and tossed out the charges.

According to MS NOW, Faruqui told prosecutors that he was “deeply troubled” by the case.

“This does not feel like an investigation,” Faruqui said. “It feels like a broken one-wish willow obsession.”

The Justice Department will likely appeal Faruqui’s ruling to a Chief Judge.

Additionally, since Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides have not been indicted by a grand jury, the DOJ could also seek a grand jury indictment.

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