Soros-backed prosecutor hit with rebuke after dismissing probe as Trump ‘partisan attacks’: ‘Hey scumbag’

Victim Rights Reform Council head calls Descano a ‘scumbag,’ says probe was filed on behalf of a murder victim’s mother

2026-05-11T13:02:49-04:00 / Fox News

By Peter Pinedo Fox News

Published May 11, 2026 1:02pm EDT

Mother of murder victim Stephanie Minter calls out lenient policies amid DOJ investigation

Cheryl Minter, mother of murdered Stephanie Minter, expresses outrage over her daughter’s killing by an illegal immigrant with a violent criminal history. Minter reveals that Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano repeatedly showed leniency to the suspect. She reacts to news that the DOJ is investigating Descano for giving preferential treatment to illegal immigrants over citizens, emphasizing the need to prioritize American children and citizens.

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Embattled Soros-backed prosecutor Steve Descano is facing scrutiny again, this time for dismissing a Justice Department probe into allegations that he gave favorable deals to illegal immigrants, calling it one of President Donald Trump’s “partisan attacks.”

Jennifer Harrison, head of the Victim Rights Reform Council, responded to Fairfax County, Virginia, Commonwealth’s Attorney Descano’s claim by writing on X, “Hey scumbag… This has NOTHING to do with President Trump and it’s not going to be the fundraising tool you thought it would be – no Soros blood money for you today.”

The DOJ opened a “pattern or practice” civil rights investigation into Descano last week, examining whether his office violated federal law by weighing “immigration consequences” in charging decisions and plea deals, amid an ongoing spate of violent crime in Fairfax County involving illegal immigrants.

Victim Rights Reform Council requested that the DOJ launch an investigation on behalf of Cheryl Minter, whose daughter, Stephanie Minter, was fatally stabbed at a bus stop earlier this year, allegedly by Abdul Jalloh, a 32-year-old illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone.

DOJ OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO SOROS-BACKED DA ACCUSED OF SHIELDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CONSEQUENCES

Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano speaks at an event in Fairfax County, Va.(Sarah Voisin/Getty Images)

Descano responded to the DOJ investigation through spokeswoman Laura Birnbaum, who wrote in a statement that “this investigation is the latest example of the Trump administration’s own ‘pattern or practice’ of misusing the Justice Department to launch partisan attacks.”

Birnbaum said the “DOJ’s letter announcing the investigation distorts the office’s policy,” which she said has “been in place publicly for over five years – and happened to arrive just a week before Commonwealth’s Attorney Descano is set to testify before Congress.”

Descano, whose entry into political office was propelled by a massive $627,653 donation from the Soros family’s Justice and Public Safety PAC, is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement on Thursday.

The hearing is titled “Fairfax County, Virginia: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies.” County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid will also testify, along with Minter, former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, and Virginians for Safe Communities President Sean Kennedy.

SOROS-BACKED DA’S LAX ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION POLICIES LED TO ‘PREVENTABLE’ BUS STOP STABBING MURDER: COMPLAINT

Abdul Jalloh, 32, is accused of killing Stephanie Minter, 41, at a bus stop in Virginia.(Fairfax County Police Department; provided)

Birnbaum insisted, “Our office’s policies are fair, legal, and reflect the values of Fairfax County.”

She said Descano’s office “will not be distracted from our mission of keeping this community safe and holding individuals accountable when they commit crimes.”

In response, Harrison said the civil rights investigation was initiated after a request from a victim’s loved one.

“Hey scumbag – Cheryl Minter, mother of Stephanie filed the complaint that initiated the investigation. I know bc I filed it on her behalf,” wrote Harrison.

She continued, “We are also well aware that your deadly and disastrous policies were in place for quite some time – if not Cheryl’s daughter Stephanie would still be alive which is why we filed the complaint and asked for this investigation.”

DEM GOVERNOR UNDER FIRE AFTER ILLEGAL ALIEN ALLEGEDLY STABS WOMAN TO DEATH AT BUS STOP: ‘HEINOUS’

Harmeet K. Dhillon speaks at the IAC National Summit at The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Fla., on Jan. 17, 2026.(Noam Galai/Getty Images)

In another X post, Harrison called the victim’s mother “an amazing, brave woman,” writing, “We cannot bring Stephanie back but we can make sure this does not keep happening in her honor.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Descano’s office for comment.

In a press release following Minter’s death, the Department of Homeland Security claimed that Descano’s office had been warned about Jalloh and the danger he posed to the public ahead of Minter’s death.

Last week, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the investigation into Descano would zero in on his plea bargaining, charging decisions and sentencing policies.

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“Under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow local prosecutors to pick and choose winners based on their immigration status,” said Dhillon, adding, “This investigation will uncover whether this prosecutor is putting the community at risk in offering sweetheart deals to illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to the DOJ and White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno and Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.