Former Trump political adviser Roger Stone cited his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination Friday when he declined to address questions from the House select committee tasked with investigating the Capitol riot — after claiming in a message to The Post that he was not involved in “illegal events that transpired that day.”
“I did my civic duty and I responded as required by law,” Stone told reporters as he left his deposition.
Stone, a longtime Republican political operative, told The Post in a text message Friday that he was pleading the Fifth “not because I have done anything wrong — but because I know how [committee member] Adam Schiff [D-Calif.] can twist your words to fabricate perjury charges against you.”
“I reiterate that I was not [at the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally] on the Ellipse,” Stone continued, “[d]id not march to the Capitol and was not at the Capitol on January 6 and literally know nothing about the illegal events that transpired that day.”
Stone went on to decry the House select committee’s investigation as “a partisan witch hunt” and said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had “stacked the committee with all Democrats and two anti-Trump RINO,” referring to Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).
Roger Stone delivers remarks to the news media following his deposition Friday. EPA
“I did my civic duty and I responded as required by law,” Stone told reporters as he left his deposition. REUTERS
Roger Stone arrives at the Thomas O’Neil federal building to plead the Fifth before the January 6th congressional committee on December 17, 2021. EPA
Stone claimed, “I literally know nothing about the illegal events” of January 6, 2021. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO“I called on Speaker Pelosi to release the thousands of hours of video of the events of January 6 secured with government cameras and to release the audio transmission of all law enforcement agencies that day,” Stone concluded. “Until that happens it will be clear that what is going on here is both a cover-up and a witch hunt.”
Stone was subpoenaed by the committee last month, with panel chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) claiming in a letter to Stone that he had “used members of the [far-right group] Oath Keepers as personal security guards, several of whom were reportedly involved in the attack on the Capitol and at least one of whom has been indicted.”
Thompson also cited reports that Stone had addressed at least two pro-Trump rallies on Jan. 5 and was originally scheduled to speak at the “Stop the Steal” rally.
Weeks before the riot, President Donald Trump pardoned Stone after he was convicted of making false statements, obstruction and witness tampering in connection with Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation
Robert Minuta (left) provided security for Roger Stone (center) on January 6, 2021. Minuta was later arrested and charged with being part of the mob that broke into the Capitol. Facebook
Roger Stone was convicted of witness tampering and lying to Congress during the Russian election interference investigation, but his sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump. MediaPunch / BACKGRIDLawmakers on the panel have denied allegations by Trump and his allies that the probe amounts to partisan retribution, arguing that the witnesses they’ve called could provide critical information about the origins of the riot and the former president’s allegation that the 2020 election was stolen.
Stone’s decision to plead the Fifth comes in the wake of the House voting to recommend that both former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon be held in contempt of Congress. Bannon was indicted by the Justice Department on two counts last month.
The committee had no immediate official response to Stone’s appearance.
