Roger Stone, the indicted longtime friend & advisor to President Donald Trump, has issued an apology to Judge Amy Berman Jackson for posting a picture of her under crosshairs to Instagram over the weekend.
Jackson is the presiding judge for Stone's case in DC federal court.
"Please inform the Court that the photograph and comment today was improper and should not have been posted. I had no intention of disrespecting the Court and humbly apologize to the Court for the transgression," Stone said in a letter submitted to the court by his attorneys on Monday.
Roger Stone’s apology letter for threatening a court judge https://t.co/77FUnm9JGQ— Political Thoughts With Steve Podcast 🇺🇸🎙 (@Political Thoughts With Steve Podcast 🇺🇸🎙) 1550542294.0
"Undersigned counsel, with the attached authority of Roger J. Stone, hereby apologizes to the Court for the improper photograph and comment posted to Instagram today," the letter continued. "Mr. Stone recognizes the impropriety and had it removed."
After the post was deleted, Stone wrote on Instagram that the image was "misinterpreted," and that the crosshairs were merely part of the organization which created the picture.
In a text to CBS reporter Kathryn Watson, Stone said he was reacting to "the manner in which my case was assigned to a specific judge rather than the judge being selected randomly."
Jackson issued a gag order on Stone and his attorneys last Friday, forbidding Stone and his legal team from discussing the case on courthouse grounds.
On Tuesday morning, amid the fallout from the Instagram post, Jackson responded. She ordered Stone back to court to explain why the gag order and conditions of his release should not be made more restrictive, based on his behavior.
"Defendant is ordered to show cause at a hearing to be held on Thursday, February 21, 2019 at 2:30 P.M. as to why the media contact order entered in this case and/or his conditions of release should not be modified or revoked in light of the posts on his Instagram account."
JUST IN: Judge Amy Berman Jackson orders Roger Stone to explain why the gag order AND/OR his conditions of release… https://t.co/BnabPPF1Ha— Chris Geidner (@Chris Geidner) 1550590270.0
Stone may be playing games, but Jackson is not.
@chrisgeidner She's not taking prisoners - no pun intended— Dave Bagnall 🇬🇧 (@Dave Bagnall 🇬🇧) 1550590360.0
@chrisgeidner Judge says Get me Roger Stone— Kevin (@Kevin) 1550594847.0
@chrisgeidner Good....he needs to be knocked down a few pegs.— Shelley (@Shelley) 1550594464.0
@chrisgeidner Go get ‘em Judge Amy Bergman Jackson! https://t.co/uH0Ft7MAES— Bake Your Own Pumpkin Pie. I’m Tweeting. (@Bake Your Own Pumpkin Pie. I’m Tweeting.) 1550593252.0
What was Stone thinking?
Some serious chutzpah.
@chrisgeidner @bradheath I guess that notice of apology did not have the intended effect.— The Vaughn Index (@The Vaughn Index) 1550593342.0
@chrisgeidner He has ticked off the one person he should have had the sense to leave alone..— Faye Dem Force (@Faye Dem Force) 1550590348.0
@chrisgeidner @bradheath She is bending over backwards in her fairness. And he is taking advantage of it. Only RICH… https://t.co/Kakn6uQKWG— Mae Burnya (@Mae Burnya) 1550591176.0
People have three words for the judge.
@chrisgeidner LOCK HIM UP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!— Vinman (@Vinman) 1550593550.0
@chrisgeidner Lock him up!!— Sue R 🍑 (@Sue R 🍑) 1550594702.0
@chrisgeidner @JustWhatNowWhy Lock him up.🎼— LSRiley (@LSRiley) 1550593284.0
@chrisgeidner Get him, guuuurrrrllll!!!!!— SC🌊🌊🌊 (@SC🌊🌊🌊) 1550590337.0
Stone was charged in January with five counts of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering pertaining to his contacts with Wikileaks during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Following his arraignment, Stone had tried to get Jackson to pass his case off to another judge, but she denied his request. Stone said in a second now-deleted Instagram post that Jackson, an Obama appointee, was overseeing a "show trial" enabled by "legal trickery" by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose office filed the indictments.
“Through legal trickery Deep State hitman Robert Mueller has guaranteed that my upcoming show trial is before Judge Amy Berman Jackson," Stone wrote, knocking Jackson as "an Obama appointed Judge who dismissed the Benghazi charges again [sic] Hillary Clinton and incarcerated Paul Manafort prior to his conviction for any crime."