Federal judge slaps partial gag order on Trump friend Roger Stone in Mueller case

FAN Editor

A federal judge on Friday slapped a partial gag order on Roger Stone and lawyers for the longtime controversial Republican operative, barring them from making statements to the media and others as they enter and leave a Washington courthouse.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she was concerned that if Stone and his lawyers talked around the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., courthouse, it could make it could taint potential jurors in his criminal case.

That case was against Stone, a long-time friend of President Donald Trump, was lodged in late January by special counsel Robert Mueller. Jackson’s partial gag order applies to Mueller, whose prosecutors already have a practice of never publicly talking to reporters anywhere.

The self-admitted dirty trickster Stone, who was free on $250,000 bond, is charged with witness tampering, obstruction of justice and making false statements to Congress. Mueller says Stone to Congress about his alleged efforts to have WikiLeaks release material hacked by Russian agents from Democrats, including Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, during the 2016 campaign that ended with Trump’s victory.

Stone has pleaded not guilty.

Jackson said in her order Friday that: “All interested participants in the matter, including the parties, any potential witnesses, and counsel for the parties and the witnesses, must refrain, when they are entering or exiting the courthouse, or they are within the immediate vicinity of the courthouse, from making statements to the media or to the public that pose a substantial likelihood of material prejudice to this case or are intended to influence any juror, potential juror, judge, witness or court officer or interfere with the administration of justice.”

Jackson added that she ” has particular concerns about the potential impact of public statements made in the District of Columbia, directed at individuals who may be members of the venire from which the jury will be drawn.”Stone’s lawyer did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the gag order.

A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment.

The special counsel is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign, as well as possible obstruction of justice by Trump himself. The president has denied any wrongdoing.

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