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U.S. Magistrate Tosses Obstruction Charge Against FBI Officials

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

U.S. magistrate Zia M. Faruqui rejected the obstruction charge against FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides.
The superseding complaint was unsigned, unsworn, and prosecutors admitted the filing method was never used.
Faruqui struck the filing, citing procedural irregularities and misuse concerns.
Faruqui scheduled a hearing to assess probable cause on the original false-statement charges.
Defense lawyers called the case a political football and criticized its timing before the election.

Summary

Attorney General Pam Bondi dissolved the Foreign Influence Task Force in February 2025.
FBI Director Kash Patel opened an investigation after President Donald Trump’s July speech alleging election interference.
Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson launched a 2020 inquiry into Hunter Biden’s Ukrainian work.
President Joe Biden pardoned Hunter Biden in late 2024 after the New York Post obtained his laptop’s hard drive from Rudy Giuliani.

History

The Watergate break-in on June 17 1972 and the cover-up that forced President Richard Nixon to resign on August 9 1974 created a legacy of contested subpoenas, exemplified by Archibald Cox’s appointment as special prosecutor and the indictment of 69 participants. That legacy echoes today as U.S. magistrate Zia M. Faruqui dismissed an unsigned obstruction complaint against FBI agents Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides.

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The Watergate break-in on June 17 1972 and the cover-up that forced President Richard Nixon to resign on August 9 1974 created a legacy of contested subpoenas, exemplified by Archibald Cox’s appointment as special prosecutor and the indictment of 69 participants. That legacy echoes today as U.S. magistrate Zia M. Faruqui dismissed an unsigned obstruction complaint against FBI agents Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides.

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