Keith Mack
Roger Stone, an adviser to President Donald Trump, was charged with obstruction and witness tampering. He was also barred from social media by a federal judge for breaking a gag order. Stone was told he could not use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and was prohibited from speaking publicly about the case, the investigation, or anyone involved. He was also warned that his new book could violate the gag order.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Roger Stone's relationship to the President | Donald Trump |
| Roger Stone's charges | Obstruction, witness tampering |
| Roger Stone's violation | Gag order |
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What You'll Learn
- Roger Stone broke a gag order by using social media
- Roger Stone was charged with witness tampering
- Roger Stone was charged with obstruction
- Roger Stone was treated differently from other defendants due to his relationship with the President
- Roger Stone was pardoned by Trump, which could be an unpardonable crime
Roger Stone broke a gag order by using social media
Roger Stone, an ex-adviser to President Donald Trump, broke a gag order by using social media. In July 2019, a federal judge ordered Stone to stop using social media "in any way, on any subject", while he was awaiting trial. Stone was charged with obstruction and witness tampering, and the judge said he had repeatedly failed to act responsibly while awaiting trial. The social media restrictions prohibited Stone from using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and were in addition to earlier limits imposed by the gag order, which prohibited him from speaking publicly about the case, the investigation, or anyone involved.
Stone's lawyer argued that his client's social media posts did not break the gag order, but the judge disagreed, saying: "Your lawyer had to twist the facts … and twist himself into a pretzel to argue that these posts don’t cross the line."
Stone's behaviour was also compared to that of a middle-schooler by the judge, who said: "It seems he’s determined on making himself the subject of a story." Despite this, the judge declined to send Stone to jail, saying that finding him in contempt "would be wasteful, unnecessary and counterproductive" and would only lead to more pretrial publicity.
Stone's case has raised questions about the politicisation of his sentencing, with some arguing that he received special treatment from the Department of Justice due to his relationship with the President.
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Roger Stone was charged with witness tampering
Stone was an adviser to President Donald Trump. He was awaiting trial when a federal judge ordered him to stop using social media "in any way, on any subject". This was because he had repeatedly tested the limits of a gag order prohibiting him from speaking publicly about the case.
Stone was accused of not acting responsibly while awaiting trial. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson compared his behaviour to that of a middle-schooler. She said that his lawyer had to "twist the facts" to argue that Stone's social media posts did not cross the line.
There were also concerns that Stone was receiving special treatment from the Department of Justice due to his relationship with the President. A bipartisan group of more than 2,600 former DOJ lawyers called on Attorney General Bill Barr to resign, saying that he was "doing the President's personal bidding".
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Roger Stone was charged with obstruction
Stone was an adviser to President Donald Trump, and there was concern that he received special treatment from the DOJ because of his relationship with the President. A federal judge barred Stone from using social media "in any way, on any subject" while awaiting trial. The judge, Amy Berman Jackson, said that Stone had repeatedly failed to act responsibly and compared his behaviour to that of a middle-schooler.
There was also concern that Trump offered Stone a pardon to encourage him not to testify against him, which would be a further reason to examine the matter closely. A bipartisan group of more than 2,600 former DOJ lawyers called on Attorney General Bill Barr to resign, saying that he was "doing the President's personal bidding".
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Roger Stone was treated differently from other defendants due to his relationship with the President
A federal judge ordered Stone to stop using social media "in any way, on any subject" while awaiting trial, but did not send him to jail, saying that doing so would be "wasteful, unnecessary and counterproductive". Stone's lawyer argued that his client's social media posts did not cross the line.
It has been reported that Stone received special treatment from the Department of Justice (DOJ) because he did not testify against Trump. There is also a pattern of Trump offering pardons to people to induce them to break the law. For example, Trump reportedly offered to pardon administration officials if they broke the law to build his border wall quicker.
In response to the politicisation of Stone's sentencing, a bipartisan group of more than 2,600 former DOJ lawyers called on Attorney General Bill Barr to resign, saying he was "doing the President's personal bidding".
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Roger Stone was pardoned by Trump, which could be an unpardonable crime
Roger Stone was charged with obstruction and witness tampering, and was barred from social media for breaking a gag order. He was an adviser to President Donald Trump, and Trump pardoned him, which could be an unpardonable crime. There is significant evidence that Trump sought to influence Stone's behaviour with the promise of rewards for not testifying against him. A bipartisan group of more than 2,600 former DOJ lawyers called on Attorney General Bill Barr to resign, saying he was "doing the President's personal bidding".
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Frequently asked questions
Roger Stone broke a gag order by using social media to discuss his case, the investigation, and those involved.
Roger Stone was banned from using social media on any subject while awaiting trial.
Roger Stone was treated differently because of his relationship to the President. The Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Timothy Shea, was reportedly pressured by the Department of Justice to go easy on Stone.
Roger Stone was charged with obstruction and witness tampering.
