U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui on Tuesday criticized the Justice Department’s attempt to add charges against two former FBI officials accused of misleading Congress about their involvement in investigations concerning Hunter Biden. The judge did not approve a new criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, according to the Washington Examiner.
The Hill reported that prosecutors sought to add charges overnight before a hearing on the original allegations. Fox News said the proposed additional count involved obstruction and was filed hours before a preliminary hearing, at which the government was to establish probable cause. The defendants, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were arrested last week after the Justice Department alleged they had misrepresented their involvement in the investigations in statements to Congress, Fox reported.