Roger Stone Judge Demands Info on Book, Mueller Criticism

The judge handling the case of political consultant Roger Stone has given him less than a week to provide information pertaining to a re-release of one of his books in which he makes critical comments about the Russia investigation.

According to The Hill, Judge Amy Berman Jackson imposed a deadline of March 11 as she tries to determine whether Stone is in violation of a gag order. He was told last month not to speak publicly about his case or the Russia probe after he posted an Instagram photo of the judge that contained what appeared to be crosshairs in one corner of the image.

"The Court did not impose any restrictions on his speech whatsoever until, as he put it, he 'abused the latitude' the court gave him, and he used his public platform in an incendiary and threatening manner," Jackson wrote in a court document.

"And any costs or consequences that will be occasioned by the court's reiteration of this clear requirement at this late date are also solely attributable to the defendant, since he deliberately waited until public sales were not only 'imminent,' but apparently, ongoing, to inform the court of the publication effort that had been underway for weeks."

The issue stems from Stone telling the court last Friday about an impending re-release of a 2016 book he wrote. The 2019 version has a new introduction that is critical of the Russia investigation spearheaded by special counsel Robert Mueller.

In his Friday court document, Stone said the book release was "imminent" and he wanted to make sure it would not be in violation of the gag order. On Monday, however, Stone admitted his use of the word "imminent" was a "misnomer" because the new book was already available for purchase.

Jackson wants to know by March 11 when the book was available for purchase, when the new introduction he wrote was able to be viewed, and when Stone knew about the publication date. She also asked for information about any relevant social media posts Stone made regarding the book.

Stone was arrested in January and charged with lying to Congress and witness tampering as part of Mueller's investigation, which began in 2017 over claims that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.

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