Jun 20, 2019
Prosecutors accuse Roger Stone of violating gag order with social media posts
- Zachary Basu, author of Axios Sneak Peek

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Federal prosecutors on Thursday accused longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone, who is currently awaiting trial on charges stemming from the Mueller investigation, of violating the terms of his gag order by posting about his case on social media.
"Stone placed the June 18 and June 19 posts on a social media platform specifically identified in the Court’s order, Instagram. The posts refer to Stone’s filings in this case and they target the investigation that was conducted by the Special Counsel and FBI of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The posts, moreover, tag major media outlets, effectively calling on those outlets to cover Stone’s allegations."
Why it matters: The notoriously brash and self-described "dirty trickster" has been on thin ice for months. In February, Judge Amy Berman Jackson hit Stone with a full gag order for posting an Instagram that appeared to show her face near a crosshairs symbol, with a caption that described her as an "Obama-appointed judge who dismissed the Benghazi charges against Hillary Clinton."
- Prosecutors argue that Stone's recent antics "appear calculated to generate media coverage of information that is not relevant to this case but that could prejudice potential jurors." They have requested a hearing with Judge Jackson to review the allegations.
Read the court filing: