Roger Stone pleads the Fifth at Jan. 6 committee deposition
Published Date: 12/17/2021
Source: axios.com

Roger Stone, a longtime ally of former President Trump, said Friday that he appeared for a deposition before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack but asserted his Fifth Amendment right not to testify.

Why it matters: Stone is the second witnesses subpoenaed by the committee to invoke the Fifth Amendment, NPR reports. Another witness said he plans to in the future.


  • Attorney John Eastman invoked the Fifth earlier this month, and former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark said he will at his deposition, per NPR.

The big picture: Stone was subpoenaed in November for his alleged role on Jan. 6.

  • Stone promoted his attendance at rallies in Washington, D.C., and "solicited support to pay for security through the website stopthesteal.org," the committee said in a statement.

What they're saying: "I will invoke my 5th Amendment right not to answer their loaded questions — not because I have done anything wrong — but because I recognize the whole thing as an elaborate trap," Stone said in a statement according to NPR.

  • "I have said time and time again that I had no advance knowledge of the events that took place at the Capitol on that day," he added.
  • "I don't like to see the criminalization of constitutionally protected political activity," Stone said after leaving the deposition. "I think it's a slippery slope."