Updated 11 a.m. Nov. 2 with the judge's reasons for dismissing the case.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A federal judge on Monday dismissed the criminal complaint against Nikki Floris of Alexandria and Bradley Benavides, two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about their involvement in the bureau's investigations into Hunter Biden, saying the investigation was rushed, overtly political and marked by "critical mistakes," The Associated Press reported.

"What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization," U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui said in ruling from the bench, according to the AP.

Faruqui noted that the investigation was opened a day after a prime-time speech in which President Donald Trump rehashed grievances over his 2020 election loss, and that FBI Director Kash Patel mandated the investigation and closely tracked it, the AP reported. The judge also said the Justice Department could have brought the case, which stems from statements made in 2023, at any time but chose to file it shortly before Tuesday's midterm election, according to the AP.