Judge in Stone case considers imposing gag order
The federal judge overseeing the criminal case against longtime Donald Trump friend Roger Stone is considering whether to impose a gag order, after Stone went on a week-long media blitz to discuss the allegations against him.
US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson yesterday told prosecutors and Stone’s attorneys to file any opposition to such a directive by next Saturday.
Stone, a political operative who relishes media attention, has said he worries about a possible gag order because his career is in speaking and writing.
Jackson’s comment came as Stone returned to federal court in Washington, DC for a scheduling hearing, after pleading not guilty this week to charges in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
The judge said Stone might have been justified in making his position clear after his arrest, but added that she needed to ensure he received a fair trial.
‘‘This is a criminal proceeding, not a public relations campaign,’’ Jackson said, threatening to cut off public comments by parties and attorneys about the case. ‘‘I believe it’s better for counsel and parties to do their talking in pleadings, not on courthouse steps, not on the talk show circuit.’’
After the hearing, Stone declined to say what he thought of a potential gag order. ‘‘They told me no interviews in the building,’’ he said, grinning. Asked if he would be speaking outside the courthouse, he said: ‘‘No, too dangerous.’’
Stone is charged with lying about his efforts to gather information concerning hacked Democratic Party emails that were published by WikiLeaks. He has vowed to fight the charges.
In the months he has been under investigation, Stone has given numerous interviews, and has vigorously attacked the prosecutors’ case as he has sought to raise money for his defence. As recently as Friday, he hosted a news conference to take questions from reporters.
Jackson said the upshot of Stone’s statements and coverage of them could be that ‘‘we end up with an even larger percentage the of jury pool tainted by publicity than we have now’’.
It remains unclear how soon Stone could go to trial. Prosecutors said they had discussed possible October dates with Stone’s defence, but Jackson said she was hoping for July.
– Washington Post