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Judges Halt FBI Search of Activist’s Phone in Stephen Miller Threat Investigation [WATCH]

Two Virginia judges and Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti have restricted federal investigators from examining the cellphone of activist Barbara Wien, who allegedly doxed Stephen Miller, Donald Trump’s White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, and his family.

The Justice Department had sought access to Wien’s phone to determine whether she coordinated with others in targeting Miller and his relatives.

Magistrate Judge Lindsey Vaala denied the FBI’s request for a search warrant earlier this week, according to Axios.

Federal officials argued that Wien’s communications could reveal whether a wider network of activists was involved in threatening or stalking Miller.

Wien, a 66-year-old academic and self-described peace studies scholar, has been accused of placing flyers in her Arlington neighborhood that displayed Miller’s home address.

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The flyers contained his photo with a red circle and line drawn through it and read, “NO NAZIS IN NOVA.”

A QR code on the flyers linked to the activist group Arlington Neighbors United for Humanity.

Video evidence from the Secret Service reportedly shows Wien walking outside Miller’s residence and making a gesture toward his wife by pointing two fingers from her eyes toward the home.

The incident occurred 24 hours after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in Utah, according to case records.

The FBI initially seized Wien’s phone on October 1 as part of its investigation but said she misled agents during questioning.

Investigators requested another warrant to review the phone’s contents, but Judge Vaala declined to approve it.

Vaala previously made political donations to former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden before being appointed to the bench.

In a separate proceeding weeks earlier, Dehghani-Tafti, a Democratic prosecutor elected in 2019, supported Wien’s defense motion to restrict what data the FBI could access.

Her argument convinced another Virginia judge to limit the scope of the federal search.

A senior Trump administration official expressed frustration with the outcome, saying, “The position of the judge and the justice system in Northern Virginia is, Stephen Miller deserves this, so it shouldn’t be investigated. This is just about gathering evidence to see if there should be an arrest. And the judges are blocking it.”

Wien’s attorney maintains that she did not commit any crimes and characterized her as an academic focused on nonviolence.

Federal law enforcement officials, however, continue to treat the incident as a potential threat against a protected person.

“A lot of administration officials feel it’s a problem that you have to live in Virginia or D.C. or Maryland. But the criminal justice system will not protect you and your family,” a White House official said of the case.

Many former Trump officials have relocated to secure housing after repeated doxing and harassment incidents.

Dehghani-Tafti’s social media accounts have drawn scrutiny for containing negative posts about both President Trump and Miller, as well as for following the same activist group linked to Wien.

Responding to questions from Axios, the prosecutor said, “[I] performed my duties with integrity and objectivity, and I continue to do so. I have acted in every way to uphold the rule of law.”

A counselor to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said the prosecutor’s involvement was highly irregular.

“A prosecutor is usually on the same team as the investigators trying to make a case,” the counselor told Axios.

“But in this case, it’s the opposite. She’s been stymying the investigation, it appears.”

The case remains open as the FBI weighs further options to pursue the investigation.

Federal officials have not indicated whether they plan to appeal the warrant denial or seek other avenues to review Wien’s communications.



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