A Virginia prosecutor has declined to pursue criminal charges against a left-wing activist accused of targeting White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and his family.
The case involves Barbara Wien, a political activist in northern Virginia, who allegedly orchestrated a doxing and intimidation campaign against Miller and his wife, Katie Miller, by posting flyers bearing Millers photograph and home address throughout the area. As reported by Just The News, Wien was also accused of attempting to intimidate Katie Miller at the couples Virginia residence, raising serious concerns about the safety of public officials and their families in an increasingly hostile political climate.
Arlington and Falls Church Commonwealths Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, a progressive prosecutor backed by left-leaning groups, announced in a 166-page filing that she had reviewed the evidence and concluded that nothing in the proceeds of the search warrant supports criminal prosecution, according to CBS News. She further asserted, It would neither accomplish the ends of justice nor discharge the Commonwealth's ethical obligations of fair prosecution to initiate any charges, adding, The conduct initially investigated cannot support a charge. In short, Ms. Wien is not likely to be found guilty, and her speech is likely to be found to be constitutionally protected.
Dehghani-Tafti emphasized that the flyers message fell under political expression, stating, The sole call to action was to a traditionally and clearly protected political activity, encouraging residents to petition Congress to investigate Mr. Miller's actions based on the wanted flyer's allegations. Wien has been under both state and federal scrutiny since last year over the distribution of the flyers, which critics argue crossed the line from political protest into targeted harassment.
The prosecutor also noted that the flyers did not call for any action at or near his residence, nor for any action by the viewer against Mr. Miller. Her decision comes amid accusations that she has been stymying the investigation after allegedly siding with Wiens defense team in asking the judge to restrict what information local police could share with the FBI.
To date, no federal charges have been filed against Wien, and a federal judge has twice rejected the FBIs attempts to secure a search warrant for her phone. The outcome underscores a growing divide over how far protected speech can be stretched when it involves publishing the home address of a senior aide to President Donald Trump, leaving many conservatives warning that political intimidation is being normalized under the guise of First Amendment protections.
Login