Roger Stone has prided himself for his life’s work as a dirty political operative. He even has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back. He’s built this entire persona around being the loudest guy in the room, especially when it comes to his fashion choices. And now his loud mouth is getting him into deep trouble with a federal judge who will be considering whether to revoke his bail tomorrow, days after he posted a photo on Instagram of Judge Amy Berman Jackson with a rifle crosshairs symbol next to her head. Stone lifted the image from a conspiracy-laden website, and less than a week after the same judge issued a gag order in his case.
To say Roger has had a bad week is an understatement, and all of it is his own doing. You’d think after the swift outcry from observers and the order from Judge Berman Jackson to appear in court to explain himself, Roger Stone might close his mouth for once in his life. But, no: On the same day Judge Berman Jackson issued the order, Roger Stone sent a fundraising email saying, this “may be the last time you hear from me if I am gagged by the Judge." Furthermore, he bashed Judge Berman Jackson, insinuating she was part of a “deep state” plot. From The Hill:
In the email, Stone refers to Jackson as an "Obama-appointed Federal Judge" and wrote that the "real reason they want to gag me is so I cannot raise the money necessary to mount a vigorous legal defense."
Sure, Roger. He went even further, saying he was only under investigation because of his relationship with Trump.
"We both know I have been targeted by Mueller and the Deep State simply because I am a long-time confidant and friend of the President and I effectively helped defeat Hillary Clinton. The Democrats want me side-lined in 2020 so I cannot help the President," Stone wrote.
Roger, you are under investigation because you communicated with both the hackers and WikiLeaks, and special counsel Robert Mueller seems to have the receipts for it all.
It’s also worth noting that Judges and federal marshals take any and all threats against court officers extremely seriously. Juliette Kayyem is a national security analyst for CNN who happens to be married to a federal judge, and she explained just how serious this matter truly is for Roger Stone.
Indeed, Roger and his wife Nydia seem to be preparing for Roger to be away for a long time. Their Florida home has a “for rent” sign in the yard. From CBS Miami:
Stone has been appealing for donations to a legal defense fund to help fray his mounting legal costs. Nydia Stone, his wife, sent an email to supporters last week asking them to contribute: "We are facing a two million dollar cost for lawyers In order to fight the bogus charges against my husband who at 66 years old is facing a potential 45 year prison sentence for crimes he did not commit."
She wrote that she is "packing everything we own because we must move into a small apartment which is less expensive and has better security so the days ahead will be busy for me."
Stay tuned for Roger’s hearing tomorrow. And here’s that Nixon tattoo he’ll soon be showing off in prison.