Judge bans Roger Stone from making comments about case.
WASHINGTON— Afederal judge ordered Roger Stone not to discuss his criminal case with anyone and issued a stinging reprimand Thursday over the longtime Trump confidant’s decision to post a photo on Instagram of the judge with what appeared to be the crosshairs of a gun.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said that Stone would “pose a danger” to others in the case unless she modified the terms of his release to include the gag order.
Stone had taken the witness stand to try to explain his post and apologize to the judge, repeatedly telling her that he had made an egregious and inexcusable mistake.
“Thank you, but the apology rings quite hollow,” the judge said before instituting the gag order.
Stone, 66, has pleaded not guilty to charges he lied to Congress, engaged in witness tampering and ob- structed a congressional investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Stone was arrested last month and has remained free on a $250,000 personal recognizance bond. He is the sixth Trump aide or adviser charged in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
Last week, the judge issued a limited order that prevented Stone from discussing his case near the courthouse and generally prohibited his lawyers, prosecutors and witnesses from making public comments that could “pose a substantial likelihood” of prejudicing potential jurors. But that order stopped short of imposing a broad ban on public comments.
Stone had been ordered to court Thursday after he posted a photo of Jackson with what appeared to be crosshairs near her head. Stone and his lawyers filed a notice with the court that said they recognized the photo was “improper and should not have been posted.”
As part of the Mueller investigation, Paul Manafort is scheduled to be sentenced in an Alexandria, Va., federal court for tax and bank fraud on March 8, the first punishment handed down to Trump’s former campaign chairman.
Federal sentencing guidelines call for Manafort to spend roughly 19 to 24 years in prison.