diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/io/storage/VariantContextWriterStorage.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/io/storage/VariantContextWriterStorage.java
index 31f6d5954..8e4633869 100644
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/io/storage/VariantContextWriterStorage.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/io/storage/VariantContextWriterStorage.java
@@ -198,8 +198,6 @@ public class VariantContextWriterStorage implements Storage<VariantContextWriter
 
             source.close();
             file.delete(); // this should be last to aid in debugging when the process fails
-        } catch (UserException e) {
-            throw new ReviewedStingException("BUG: intermediate file " + file + " is malformed, got error while reading", e);
         } catch (IOException e) {
             throw new UserException.CouldNotReadInputFile(file, "Error reading file in VCFWriterStorage: ", e);
         }