Trump Ally Stone to Advocate Right Against Self-Integration in Jan. 6 Panel – Attorney | News in the US

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By Jan Wolfe and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters)-Longtime Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone will call for constitutional protection against self-incrimination in an interview on Friday with the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Stone’s attorney said Thursday.

Stone’s attorney, Grant Smith, said in an e-mail that his client would appear for a closed-door deposition before the House of Representatives committee on Friday but would not answer any questions, asking of his rights under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The Fifth Amendment protects a person from being forced to disclose to investigators information that could subject them to criminal prosecution.

At least two other high-profile witnesses who have received subpoenas from the House Select Committee have indicated they will implement the Fifth Amendment: John Eastman, a former attorney for former president Trump, and Jeffrey Clark, a former top law official. Justice Department during the Trump administration. .

The committee issued a subpoena to Stone in Nov. 22, who says it likes his testimony about his appearances at pro-Trump rallies in Washington on Jan. 5.

Members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right anti-government group, provided security to Stone in January. 5 and Jan. 6. Some members of the Oath Keepers are facing criminal charges for their violation of the Capitol in January. 6.

Stone was previously indicted by Robert Mueller, the former special counsel assigned to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. A federal jury in Washington convicted Stone of lying to Congress, obstructing justice and tampering with witnesses. .

Trump pardoned Stone in December 2020, abolishing the criminal conviction.

A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in a failed attempt to prevent formal congressional certification of his election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The committee reviews Trump’s actions in relation to those events.

More than 700 people have been charged for participating in the unrest at the Capitol.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)

Copyright 2021 Thomson Reuters.

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