Federal judge modifies Roger Stone’s gag order, bans his use of social media News
© WikiMedia (Pete Souza)
Federal judge modifies Roger Stone’s gag order, bans his use of social media

Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson, of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, modified Roger Stone’s gag order to be an outright ban on Stone’s use of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The original order prevented Stone from discussing his case publicly

Stone, who faces charges of obstruction of a proceeding, witness tampering, and making false statements to the US House of Representatives Committee on Intelligence in connection with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, previously violated the original gag order back in February when he posted a photo of Jackson with crosshairs near her head. At that time, Jackson banned Stone from discussing the case publicly.

Since then, Stone has re-posted many social media posts that discussed his case. In response, Jackson decided to modify and clarify the gag order.

[T]he defendant is prohibited from making statements to the media or in public settings about the Special Counsel’s investigation or this case or any of the participants in the investigation or the case. The prohibition includes, but is not limited to, statements made about the case through the following means: radio broadcasts; interviews on television, on the radio, with print reporters, or on internet based media; press releases or press conferences; blogs or letters to the editor; and posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other form of social media.

Furthermore, the defendant may not comment publicly about the case indirectly by having statements made publicly on his behalf by surrogates, family members, spokepersons, representatives, or volunteers.

The modified order bans Stone from posting any material to Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and prevents Stone from disseminating other people’s comments about his case.