(Bloomberg) -- Roger Stone, the long-time Donald Trump confidant indicted last month for lying to Congress about communications to WikiLeaks, was sued for defamation by conspiracy theorist and author Jerome Corsi, who plays a central role in the criminal case.
Corsi claims Stone began waging a public-relations campaign to “smear, defame, intimate and threaten” him after Stone concluded he was going to be charged by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The author seeks more than $25 million in damages in a complaint filed late Thursday in Washington federal court.
"Plaintiff Corsi is 72 years old," attorney Larry Klayman wrote in the filing. "Defendant Stone’s intentional infliction of emotional distress and coercion and threats are intended to try even cause plaintiff Corsi to have heart attacks and strokes, in order that plaintiff will be unable to testify at Stone’s criminal trial."
The suit is the latest twist in a bizarre criminal case. Corsi is alleged to be one of two intermediaries between Stone and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during a time when the group was releasing information damaging to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Corsi -- identified in the indictment only as Person 1 -- isn’t charged.
Stone has denied wrongdoing in the criminal case.
Neither Stone nor his lawyers immediately responded to an emailed request for comment.
The case is Corsi v. Stone, 19-cv-324, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington).
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