Longtime Trump confidant and recently convicted felon Roger Stonebroke his silence during a Friday interview with BizTVs Liquid Lunch, wearing a Roger Stone Did Nothing Wrong mask and Roger Stone Still Did Nothing Wrong shirt as he did so. Stone, who was famously gagged during the pendency of his criminal trial, told host John Tabaccoand co-host Frank Moranothat he was the victim of a witch hunt and political prosecution.
Stone began the interview by speaking through his mask. Then he removed it and declared he was unmasked like Michael Flynn.
First of all, much like General Flynn Im going to be unmasked, Stone said, when asked about former White House Chief StrategistSteve Bannonallegedly perjuring himself. Secondarily, its great to be with you guys because, as you know, for 16 solid months Ive been under what I believe to be an unconstitutional gag order. I havent able to say everything Id like to say. I havent been able to defend myself. I havent been able to correct the tsunami of disinformation from people like Ari Melber, and Rachel Maddow, and Don Lemon, and Chris Cuomo, and so many other of my good friends.
Interestingly, Stone said that any misstatements he made to Congress were immaterial. Why is that relevant? Because the Department of Justice just backed Michael Flynn with a motion to dismiss, saying that it couldnt prove that Flynns false statements were materialwhich is an element the government needs to prove in false statements cases.
At the end of April, Stones lawyers filed a notice that they were appealing their clients conviction and sentence forwitness tampering, obstruction and lying to congressional investigators. Notably, Attorney General William Barr has said on national television that he believes the Stone case was a righteous prosecution, which is in stark contrast to what President Donald Trump has said.
After the FBI raid of Stones Florida home, for example, Trump tweeted that the Russia probe was the Greatest Witch Hunt in the History of our Country!
After Stone was convicted but on the day the Stone was sentenced to three years in prison, Trump asked: what about James Comey, Hillary Clinton and Andrew McCabe?
As recently as Wednesday, the president quoted Stones remark that he would never give false testimony against [Trump]. In the past, Trump said it was [n]ice to know that some people (Stone) still have guts not to make up lies about him.
Stone repeated the presidents preferred phrasing during his Friday interview, saying he was the victim of a witch hunt and that there was no underlying crime. Stone also said the aforementioned Steve Bannon lied under oath in court when Bannon said that he and Stone repeatedly discussed WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.
[H]e told the [House] Committee, correctly, he and I never discussed WikiLeaks at any point whatsoever, Stone asserted. That was the truth.
Stone said that despite the legal proctological examination that was performed on him, the best investigators could come up with was flimsy lying to Congress charge.
Im finally able to say for the first time since the beginning that I am the victim of a witch hunt. I am the victim of a political prosecution, he said.
Watch the rest of the interview above via Liquid Lunch TV.
[Image via Liquid Lunch TV/screengrab]
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