Barbara Ledeen is an American conservative activist, author, and former government official who served as a senior advisor at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during the Trump administration. She has been married to Michael Ledeen, a prominent neoconservative historian, author, and intelligence consultant, for nearly 40 years. Professionally, Ledeen served as a professional staff member on the Senate Judiciary Committee under Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) until at least 2021, where she handled investigations and policy matters. Her work in the Senate included controversial efforts, such as in 2015 when she attempted to initiate an independent investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails while on Grassley's staff, reflecting her alignment with Republican probes into Democratic figures. Ledeen has been associated with key figures in the Trump orbit, including General Michael Flynn, for whom she is a longtime friend. In 2016-2017, amid investigations into Trump's Russia ties, Ledeen reportedly sought assistance from the 'dark web' to further her Clinton email inquiries, highlighting her unconventional approaches to political intelligence gathering. These actions have drawn scrutiny and positioned her within networks of influence involving conservative activism, intelligence operations, and partisan investigations, though she has faced criticism for blurring lines between official duties and personal initiatives.