POWER AND INFLUENCE

Stephen Miller’s Diva Demands for FBI Probe Revealed

The eyebrow-raising requests were revealed as he came under scrutiny for his appearance at a counterterrorism training conference at FBI headquarters.

Stephen Miller has pushed the FBI to investigate people he and his wife believe have threatened or harassed them—including asking agents to go undercover inside a neighborhood activist group.

The eyebrow-raising requests were revealed Thursday as Donald Trump’s powerful White House aide came under scrutiny over his appearance at a counterterrorism training conference at FBI headquarters last week, two days before prosecutors charged a man with making disturbing calls and texts to his wife, podcaster Katie Miller.

According to CBS News, which broke the story, former Justice Department officials viewed the FBI appearance as inappropriate given the traditional separation between political officials and criminal investigations.

It was also seen as somewhat unusual given Miller was an alleged victim and potential witness in the cyberstalking case.

But the report also says the couple has repeatedly asked the FBI’s Washington Field Office to investigate alleged threats and harassment against them.

Last year, Miller even asked the bureau to allow agents to covertly infiltrate a Virginia political activist group, sources familiar with the matter told CBS.

The group was connected to protests outside the Millers’ then home in Arlington, where activist Barbara Wien distributed flyers featuring Miller on a “Wanted” poster accusing him of “crimes against humanity.”

The couple subsequently moved into taxpayer-subsidized military housing, claiming they feared for their safety.

The FBI investigation hit a wall after a magistrate judge twice rejected a search warrant. But according to sources, Miller repeatedly pressured the Justice Department to act, asking FBI counterterrorism agents to go undercover and regularly calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Virginia for updates.

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Virginia prosecutors ultimately declined to bring charges against Wien, writing that “nothing in the proceeds of the search warrant supports criminal prosecution.”

Miller’s appearance at the FBI conference also came shortly after two senior Washington counterterrorism officials were reassigned amid concerns that the agents had not acted quickly enough on an investigation into a Massachusetts man accused of harassing Katie Miller.

That man, John Proia, was subsequently charged with cyberstalking her and her family.

The White House insists the Millers did not request the agents’ removal, while FBI officials say the personnel decision was made independently.

But former Justice Department officials told CBS they could not recall another White House official having such frequent and direct contact with FBI agents and prosecutors.

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Asked about the matter on Thursday, the White House said Miller’s presence at the FBI conference was appropriate, given his role as homeland security adviser, which involves carrying out Trump’s executive order on countering domestic terrorism and political violence.

“Stephen Miller interacts with all law-enforcement agencies on a regular basis related to public safety, national security, and counterterrorism,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told the Daily Beast.

“(The executive order) was designed to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle all stages of organized political violence and domestic terrorism and as Homeland Security Advisor, he plays a role in its implementation.

“There is no safe harbor for those who illegally attack and obstruct law enforcement or wage campaigns of political violence against the American people.”

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Farrah TomazinPolitical Correspondent

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