Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to Donald Trump, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges in the Russia investigation, then ran the gauntlet of protesters waving Russian flags and playing the Beatles’ Back in the USSR.
The Republican strategist and self-proclaimed dirty trickster is charged in a seven-count indictment from special counsel Robert Mueller with obstruction, lying to Congress and witness tampering.
Wearing a blue suit and a deep blue tie, Stone walked through the public entrance into a courtroom at the US district court for the District of Columbia just after 10.50am and sat down with four lawyers at a table. He straightened his tie, touched up his hair with his right hand and adjusted his sleeve.
US magistrate judge Deborah Robinson began proceedings, watched by a packed public gallery. Stone’s lawyer Robert Buschel entered the not guilty plea on his client’s behalf. A status hearing before US district judge Amy Berman Jackson was set for Friday at 1.30pm.
Stone, 66, first appeared in court in Florida after a dramatic arrest last Friday and was released on $250,000 bond. On Tuesday, assistant US attorney Michael Marando told the judge: “We are requesting no change in conditions of release that were imposed by the court in Florida. We would like all the same conditions to apply that were set by the court down there.”
Robinson said: “Now, Mr Stone.”
He replied: “Yes, your honour.”
A court official interjected: “Please stand up.”
Stone rose to his feet, looking calm and collected. The judge reiterated the conditions of his release, which prohibit him from contacting certain individuals or owning a passport, restrict his travel and require him to check in with the court by phone every week. Failure to attend court hearings could lead to additional incarceration or a fine, she warned.
“Do you understand, sir?”
Stone said steadily: “Yes, your honour.”
The political operative was then presented with his bond document, which he signed. Stone was then required to stand and swear on oath that he understood the bond conditions he must follow. “I do,” he said.
The hearing wrapped up after less than 15 minutes. Stone stood and chatted with his lawyers and could be seen laughing. But the calm scene contrasted with the noisy melee that awaited outside court, where TV crews and demonstrators surged after Stone, who repeated his staple Richard-Nixon style victory sign before climbing inside a black SUV.
Supporters shouted, “We love Roger!” and held aloft signs such as, “Free Stone, fire Mueller”. Protesters yelled, “Lock him up!” and “Fucking traitor!” Russian flags were waved and loudspeaker boomed the Beatles song followed by the Russian national anthem, in this cold downtown Washington street.
Marilyn Matrisciana, 71, held a placard with the message “Free Stone. Jail Hillary” – a reference to Democrat Hillary Clinton. She said: “The far left have gone so far to crush our president and I believe Roger Stone is one of the victims. I believe Roger Stone is innocent and was interrogated under pressure to say something.”
She dismissed the notion that Trump colluded with Russia as “a set-up”.
But protester Bill Christeson believed Stone had a case to answer. “It’s time for us to defend democracy,” he said. “We can’t let the Putins of the world win.”
Christeson, 64, an activist, added “He’s not a dirty trickster” then raised a sign that said: “Dirty traitor”. He flipped the sign around to show the words: “You helped Putin steal our democracy.” Christeson said: “He should die in jail. He and Manafort. Trump should die in jail.”
He was confronted by Stone supporters outside court, he said. “I said two words: Nixon. Putin.’”
Stone, a friend of the president for four decades, is the sixth Trump aide charged in Mueller’s investigation.
The indictment alleges that he shared with Trump campaign staff advance knowledge of WikiLeaks’ plan to release senior Democrats’ emails, which US intelligence says were stolen by Russians. A top Trump official was allegedly “directed” to ask Stone about damaging information that WikiLeaks had on Clinton.