When we last left Roger Stone, he was trying to convince federal judge Amy Berman Jackson to put him in jail in advance of his trial, or at least he seemed to be trying to do that.
Berman Jackson gag ordered Stone in February after he accidentally oopsie allowed one of his interns to post a picture of the judge with a crosshairs next to her face, after which he behaved like an adult for approximately eight seconds before "remembering" that accidentally oopsie the new version of his Gateway Pundit Guest Blogger book, The Myth Of Russian Collusion: The Inside Story Of How Donald Trump REALLY Won , had just come out, right in the middle of this era of Roger Stone being ball-gagged, we mean gag ordered! The book itself is not new, but Stone wrote a new introduction about how Robert Mueller is a hunter of witches and blah blah Deep State blah blah blah blah blah blah, which definitely would violate a gag order in the case of Mueller v. This Latest Shitmouthed Witch , now wouldn't it?
So Stone and his lawyers decided to let Berman Jackson know about the book's "imminent release" (finally) on March 1 -- the date Stone had called the "publishing date" on Instagram -- over a week after she issued her gag order on February 21 , and nine days after the new version became available on Amazon, on February 19. (That is not the definition of "imminent release," we don't think?)
Berman Jackson noted last week that Stone and his lawyers could have told the Court about this little "upcoming" (by which we mean "right now") book re-release approximately eleventy times, and that it sure seemed like he was doing this whole song-and-dance with the Court in order to drum up publicity for his stupid book , and she was NOT PLEASED WITH THAT.
So last night, Stone's lawyers dropped their response, in advance of a status hearing on Thursday where Berman Jackson might finally decide to put Stone in a fucking jail cell where he belongs. (She also may set a trial date!) Their response, mostly, was "Nuh uh! We weren't trying to hide this book thing from you! NO PUBLICITY! NO PUBLICITY! YOU ARE THE PUBLICITY!" Also they are very sorry, and say that "Having been scolded, we seek only to defend Mr. Stone and move ahead without further ado." So ... no harm, no foul, right?
Stone's lawyer Bruce Rogow says it didn't even cross his mind until after Berman Jackson issued the gag order that Stone's new introduction to the re-release of his book might be an issue, but Politico notes that if you dig into the emails they submitted, you see Roger Stone freaking out before the gag order was imposed that the book release might cause problems:
"Recognize that the judge may issue a gag order any day now and while we will appeal it, that could take a while," Stone wrote to Skyhorse Publishing editor Michael Campbell on Feb. 15. "I also have to be wary of media outlets I want to interview me but don't really want to talk about the book. These are weird times."
Yeah.
And the Washington Post quotes other communications submitted by Stone's lawyers, because do you really think Wonkette felt like reading all this shit ourselves?
On Feb. 21, after the order was entered, attorney Grant Smith wrote Rogow that the book "will be published march 1. See date below. Need to see if this breaks the order."
Smith followed up with Tony Lyons at Skyhorse Publishing on Feb. 26. "The mere publication of the new portions of the book could land Roger in jail for contempt of the judge's order."
FINGERS CROSSED.
You'll remember that Amy Berman Jackson is the same judge who did LOCK HER UPS to Paul Manafort before his trial, because he just couldn't stop committing crimes while he was on pre-trial release. (She also sentences Manafort tomorrow morning bright and early!) So let's just all say a prayer that she is fuckin' through with Roger Stone's shit now, and will put him in jail where he belongs ASAP.
Make it so, Judge!
[ Stone lawyers' response / Politico / Washington Post ]
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This poor woman has to deal with Manafort and Stone. Oof.
I wonder if her bigger picture (i.e., knowing Manafort's redactions AND Stone's) will play into her sentencing tomorrow. I fully anticipate her to throw the full 10 years at Manafort.
This poor woman has to deal with Manafort and Stone. Oof.
I wonder if her bigger picture (i.e., knowing Manafort's redactions AND Stone's) will play into her sentencing tomorrow. I fully anticipate her to throw the full 10 years at Manafort.