FBI Laptop Case: Judge Rebukes DOJ Over Unsigned Charges

The federal government's pursuit of former FBI officials over their handling of a laptop linked to Hunter Biden entered a new phase of scrutiny on Tuesday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui in Washington, D.C., rejected an amended criminal complaint filed by the Justice Department. The rejection follows a hourslong hearing where defense attorneys argued the case is politically motivated.

The Department of Justice added a new obstruction charge against Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides. Faruqui ruled the document was improperly submitted because it lacked the required judicial sign-off confirming probable cause. The unsigned complaint was filed directly to the docket without prior court approval. The judge described the move as inappropriate given the defendants' presumption of innocence.

Prosecutors accuse Floris and Benavides of making false statements to Congress in 2023. They allegedly downplayed their knowledge of a laptop the Justice Department says belonged to Hunter Biden. The device was reportedly left at a Delaware computer repair shop in 2019. The pair served as leaders of the FBI Foreign Influence Task Force, a unit since disbanded. Prosecutors claim their professed lack of insight impeded a separate congressional investigation.

Federal agent Bryan Witt testified during the hearing that the investigation was launched following a July speech by President Donald Trump. Witt stated that FBI Director Kash Patel mandated the inquiry after the address, which focused on election interference. Witt, based in Kansas City, Missouri, described the assignment as a huge distraction from other casework. He expressed concern that the probe would appear political due to its timing and origin.

Witt noted that leadership wanted an aggressive investigation into the recall of an FBI intelligence report. That memo discussed a potential Chinese effort to influence the 2020 election through fraudulent driver's licenses. Senior FBI officials had recalled the document due to concerns about the validity of the intelligence. Witt said Patel and other leaders maintained a keen interest in the probe throughout its duration.

Defense lawyer Mary Dohrmann argued that evidence shows the prosecution is driven by political motives rather than legal facts. Her colleague Ron Safer questioned the basis for the charges against Benavides. Safer pointed out that Benavides was interviewed in 2023, long after leaving the task force, about events from years prior. He asked what evidence proved Benavides knowingly gave incorrect answers about the laptop.

The case stems from revelations by The New York Post regarding the laptop's existence. The paper reported that it obtained a hard drive from Rudy Giuliani, a close ally of President Trump. The laptop surfaced in the final weeks of the 2020 race, raising questions about its provenance. Joe Biden pardoned his son in late 2024 after Hunter Biden was convicted on gun and tax charges.