Legendary Republican operative Roger Stone is presenting evidence that CNN received an “illegal tip” when they were present for the FBI raid on his Florida home last year. CNN received the Merriman Smith Memorial Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure For Broadcast from the White House Correspondents Association for covering the Stone raid. Stone thinks that is ridiculous. “A CNN reporter having a draft of my indictment at the time of my arrest is proof that if the FBI or more likely the special counsel’s office leaked the plan to arrest me at 6 AM on Jan 25th 2019,” Roger Stone tells NATIONAL FILE. (READ: Inside The Set Up Of Roger Stone).
“The White House Correspondents Association is giving an award to CNN for coverage of the Gestapo style raid in my home. CNN reporter Sara Murray emailed a DRAFT of my indictment to my lawyer Grant Smith a little after 6 am. The draft had no time stamp or court markings but it did have meta-tags with the initials of its author ,Andrew Weissman. My lawyers learned of my arrest from the call with Murray. This same document was blast emailed to the media from OSC at 7 am -even though it was not UNSEALED until 9:30 am by a Federal Magistrate in DC. A formal complaint about the inappropriate and illegal use of a sealed document was rejected by judge Amy Berman Jackson. Murray’s possession of the draft indictment proves CNN claim that their presence at my home was based on a “journalistic hunch“ is nonsense. To this day the FBI refuses to turn over the email chain between CNN and the FBI and Judicial Watch has filed a lawsuit to obtain this information,” Roger Stone said.
“Because the FBI executed a search warrant at the same time that they executed the warrant for my arrest it is important to point out that the leak of the planned execution of a search warrant is a felony. The 13 hour search (ransacking) of my home yielded no evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever but the FBI did acquire Email exchanges between me and my attorneys which were privileged,” Stone said.
“Although the dead end street on which we lived was sealed only the CNN camera crew was allowed in the restricted area although several of my neighbors we are advised by the FBI to stay in their homes because the situation was “dangerous “ Review of the security camera footage my attorneys supplied to the house intelligence committee and aired by both FOX and Sinclair clearly show FBI agents speaking with the CNN crew several times prior to the FBI agent banged on my front door,” Stone said.
“I was charged with white collar process crimes and have no previous criminal record. Special counsel‘s claim that I had to be arrested in this over the top manner because I was a “flight risk“ is just proven by the fact that only hours later the government required no cash bond for my release at arraignment .The government was also well aware of the fact that I did not have a valid passport and do not own a firearm,” Stone said.
“29 FBI agents in full SWAT gear brandishing assault rifles, driving in 17 armored vehicles with a government helicopter overhead and two FBI amphibious units on the canal behind my house was estimated cost taxpayers $1.1 M.Special counsel’s office spoke to my attorney the day before my arrest and could have simply told me to surrender voluntarily,” Stone said.
“CNN is getting an award for receiving an illegal tip,” Stone said.
