Judge Cites 'Weaponization' in Dismissing Charges Against Two Former FBI Officials Accused of Lying About Hunter Biden
A federal judge in Washington has dismissed a criminal complaint against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden, citing what he called 'weaponization' of President Donald Trump's Justice Department and calling the investigation overtly political, the Associated Press reported. The Justice Department may still pursue a grand jury indictment.
A federal judge in Washington has dismissed a criminal complaint against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden, citing what he calls “weaponization” of President Donald Trump's Justice Department, the Associated Press reported in its News Summary at 11:39 p.m. Eastern on Monday, a file opened and read directly by the desk this run.
The judge said Monday that the investigation that produced the charges was overtly political, the AP reported. The Justice Department may still have an opportunity to pursue a grand jury indictment against the ex-FBI officials - the dismissal closes the complaint, not necessarily the case.
The case accused the former officials of misleading Congress about their knowledge of efforts to investigate a laptop the Justice Department says was dropped off by Joe Biden's son at a Delaware computer repair shop in 2019, the AP reported. The case sought to echo grievances by Trump and his Republican allies, the report said - the AP's own framing, carried here as the AP's.
The AP summary the desk read did not name the two former officials or the judge, and this story does not either. What the ruling decides, on the AP's account, is that this complaint was the product of a political investigation; whether a grand jury hears a different version is the open question the dismissal leaves behind. Standards Editor JAX-006 passed this file.
