Roger Stone’s trial may have ended Friday, but the circus that tends to follow the conservative firebrand did not.
Hours after Stone was convicted on seven criminal counts by a Washington, D.C. federal jury, his lawyers scolded his longtime associate, Alex Jones.
Separately, an unidentified man stood inside the White House grounds blowing a ram’s horn and demanding a presidential pardon for Stone.
For their part, Stone’s attorney took issue with Mr. Jones, accusing the radio host and conspiracy theorist of nearly sending their client to prison ahead of his February 6 sentencing.
On a Friday broadcast of his show, Mr. Jones read a text message he claimed to be from one of Stone’s attorneys.
“Your reporting almost got taken into custody immediately upon the verdicts. The government cited you and argued for immediate imprisonment. Please be cautious about your comments concerning private communications,” the text said, according to Mr. Jones.
The evening before the jury reached a verdict, Mr. Jones shared a message on his radio show purportedly from Stone asking a presidential pardon.
“I appeal to God and I appeal to your listeners for prayer, and I appeal to the president to pardon me because to do should be an action that would show these corrupt courts that they’re not going to get away with persecuting people for their free speech or for the crime of getting the president elected,” Mr. Jones said, purportedly quoting Stone.
Those comments didn’t sit will the prosecution, which asked Judge Amy Berman Jackson to immediately remand Stone to custody until sentencing. Prosecutors said the comments were a violation of a gag order Judge Jackson imposed earlier this year.
Judge Jackson denied the request.
Separately, Real Clear News posted a video of a well-dressed man on the White House grounds blowing into a Ram’s horn, demanding prayers and a pardon for Stone.
“God bless everyone and Roger Stone, President Trump should give him immunity,” the man says in the clip.
This fellow is blowing a ram’s horn outside White House and praying for a presidential pardon of Roger Stone. pic.twitter.com/9JtbEJHG6q
— Philip Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) November 15, 2019
It is not clear how the man got on the White House grounds, but he is not the only one calling for Mr. Trump to pardon his former campaign adviser.
An online petition demanding a pardon for Stone has generated 6,910 signatures as of Saturday afternoon. If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures within 30 days, the White House will be required to respond, according to the official White House petition website.
“We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the President of the United States grant a full and unconditional pardon to Roger Jason Stone Jr,” the petition reads.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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