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Judge berates DOJ attorney over charge filed against former FBI officials
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- A federal judge dismissed a new obstruction charge against former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, ruling that the Justice Department improperly filed an unsigned and unsworn complaint overnight.
- Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui criticized the Justice Department for creating a novel charging procedure and questioned the misuse of the legal system by higher-level officials.
- Floris and Benavides, initially charged with lying to Congress about their knowledge of the Hunter Biden laptop investigation, have faced criticism from allies of former President Trump, who claims the 2020 election was rigged.
- An FBI agent involved in the investigation testified that the probe was seen as a political distraction and was aggressively prioritized following directives from senior FBI officials.
- The hearing on the original charges is ongoing, with further testimony expected.
