Roger Stone is still talking, this time at an Infowars-sponsored press conference held in a hotel across the street from the White House.
Stone’s remarks on Thursday afternoon were broadcast on an Infowars feed between a branded virility advertisement and host Alex Jones howling about deep state interference.
Speculation has been rife that the judge in Stone’s case, District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, might soon issue a gag order, making the longtime GOP operative’s remarks potentially among his last before a possible trial. Stone will appear in court before Jackson on Friday afternoon.
Stone took advantage of his time before any gag order to deny all the charges handed down last week in an indictment from the grand jury convened by special counsel Robert Mueller.
“I intend to vigorously contest these charges,” Stone said, adding that he had called the press conference after feeling that he did not have the opportunity to adequately speak to media after his court appearance in Florida last Friday.
“I felt like Vice President Richard Nixon in Caracas in 1958,” Stone said, apparently referring to an incident in which Venezuelan communist party activists allegedly swarmed the man whose face is emblazoned on Stone’s back in the form of a tattoo.
As for a potential gag order? Stone said he would consider an appeal should one be issued.
“I would also have the right to appeal, so let’s see what happens,” he said.
During the rambling, 45-minute presser, Stone discussed the specific allegations made in the Jan. 24 indictment that accuses Stone of obstruction, witness tampering, and lying to Congress.
Specifically, a reporter asked Stone about an interview he gave to USA Today last weekend in which he claimed that Rick Gates was the unnamed senior campaign official who allegedly directed him to contact Wikileaks.
Stone called his remarks “speculation” before adding that “Mr. Gates is seeking a reduction in his sentence” and denying that such a conversation took place.
“I also have no memory of discussing this with him nor is there any electronic corroboration of that that I am aware of,” he added. “I did not coordinate anything with the Trump campaign pertaining to Wikileaks.”
Stone also told reporters at the presser that the FBI had seized all of his electronic devices, save for a cellphone that he claims the government returned to him.
He contended that the loss of his computers and temporary loss of his cellphone rendered him nearly incapable of replying to media requests and thereby defend himself publicly
“I am over 400 messages behind from reporters seeking comment,” Stone said.
Seven minutes after the presser ended, Stone replied to an email from TPM for a separate story regarding allegations made against him by noted conspiracy theorist (and potential conspirator) Jerome Corsi.
“All False !” Stone wrote.
