Roger Stone Pleads Fifth in Capitol Riot Probe

(Bloomberg) -- Former President Donald Trump’s longtime confidant Roger Stone said Friday he invoked his Fifth Amendment right to not answer questions when he appeared before a House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

“I did my civic duty and I responded as required by law,” Stone said as he left the deposition. “I invoked my Fifth Amendment rights to every question, not because I have done anything wrong, but because I am fully aware of the House Democrats’ long history of fabricating perjury charges on the basis of comments that are innocuous, immaterial or irrelevant.”

Stone said in a text message to Bloomberg earlier Friday that he wasn’t at a rally before the siege at the Capitol, didn’t join the mob as it marched there “and literally know nothing about the illegal events that transpired that day.” 

A spokesman for the committee declined to comment.

Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson said in a subpoena letter Nov. 22, that Stone’s testimony is being sought because he reportedly spoke at rallies in Washington on Jan. 5, and was slated to speak at the Jan. 6 rally at the Ellipse that directly preceded the violent attack on the Capitol.

Thompson also said that before traveling to Washington, Stone promoted his attendance at the rallies and solicited support to pay for security. Stone also used members of the Oath Keepers as personal security guards, at least one of whom has been indicted for his involvement in the attack on the Capitol, according to letter.

The Mississippi Democrat said Stone also had made remarks that he was planning to “lead a march to the Capitol” from the Ellipse rally.

Stone, in his text message, called the committee’s investigation “both a cover-up and a witchhunt.”

The Fifth Amendment protects people from having to testify if they may incriminate themselves. 

Stone raised particular issue with Representative Adam Schiff, who he said “can twist your words to fabricate perjury charges against you.” The California Democrat is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, which investigated allegations that Russians interfered in the 2016 presidential election, and questioned Stone as part of that congressional probe.

Trump pardoned Stone in December 2020, following his conviction on charges of making false statements, obstruction and witness tampering as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

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