Donald Trump’s Justice Department has charged a military veteran with harassing Katie Miller despite reported concerns within the DOJ and FBI about the case.
John Anthony Proia III, 41, of Waltham, Massachusetts, was charged Thursday with one count of cyberstalking. Prosecutors say he contacted a “prominent member of the Republican Party” more than 40 times by phone and text over the span of two months, leaving threatening messages.
Two people familiar with the matter confirmed to The Washington Post that the alleged target was Katie, the MAGA podcaster married to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
The indictment follows days of internal wrangling over the case and the reassignment of two veteran counterterrorism chiefs amid complaints about the pace of their investigation into threats against Katie, 34.
Prosecutors allege Proia, who pleaded not guilty, contacted Katie at all hours, often using a menacing tone and expletives to criticize her and her husband.
He also allegedly contacted Katie’s parents, writing in one message, “My God, how can you be proud of this filth?” and calling Stephen a “Jewish Nazi/white supremacist.”
“The defendant repeatedly and relentlessly targeted the victim, her husband and her family with deeply disturbing communications that profoundly disrupted their lives,” said Leah Foley, the U.S. attorney in Massachusetts.
The Daily Beast has reached out to Proia’s court-appointed attorney for comment.
The indictment comes after Bloomberg Law reported Monday that prosecutors in the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office were facing mounting pressure to charge a military veteran, despite internal concerns about whether they could prove a crime had occurred.
Former Justice Department officials familiar with the case told Bloomberg that the criteria for a federal threats case don’t appear to have been met, arguing that the matter was better suited for local police.
Those concerns were echoed by officials inside the FBI.
Last Friday, Michael Burgwald, the FBI’s Washington Field Office counterterrorism chief, and his deputy, Courtland Rae, were removed from their positions and transferred to FBI headquarters after they pushed back on the probe into threats against Katie, saying it was outside their remit since the counterterrorism division handles Middle East threats, Bloomberg Law reported.
Their ouster came amid the Millers’ frustration that investigators were moving too slowly, three people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis, meanwhile, told the outlet last week, “Senior leadership at the FBI determined they were stifling investigations into very serious threats and made a unilateral decision to remove them.”
Shortly after the FBI demoted the two counterterrorism officials, FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey resigned. He had reportedly disagreed with the decision to demote the agents.
Katie thanked Attorney General Todd Blanche, Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office on X after Proia was charged.
“Good to see a Boston grand jury indict this man,” she wrote.
Proia was arrested Thursday and released after appearing in federal court, the Post reports.
