The judge presiding over the government’s criminal case against Roger Stone, President Trump’s former election campaign adviser, asked Thursday to see unredacted sections of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered from a federal court in D.C. to be given access to raw sections of the Mueller report involving Mr. Stone, a longtime Republican strategist among the dozens of people criminally charged as a result of the special counsel’s investigation into the 2016 elections.
Lawyers for Mr. Stone, 66, sought access to the special counsel’s full report last month in search of details to be used in preparing their defense.
Federal prosecutors for the Department of Justice opposed the request by arguing that defense lawyers were not entitled to an unredacted version of the report.
Judge Jackson, an Obama-appointee, ultimately asked the Justice Department to let her review unredacted versions of relevant sections before deciding how to rule, however.
“In connection with the Court’s consideration of the defendant’s motion to compel production of the Special Counsel’s report and the opposition thereto, and in light of the statements of counsel at the status hearing held in this case on April 30, 2019, the government is hereby ordered to submit unredacted versions of those portions of the report that relate to defendant Stone and/or ’the dissemination of hacked materials,’ including, but not limited to, pages 41-65 of Volume 1 of the Report, to the Court for in camera review by May 13, 2019, and to docket a notice on that date indicating compliance with this order,” she ordered Thursday.
Mr. Stone is accused of lying to members of Congress investigating the 2016 elections and has been charged with obstruction, witness tampering and perjury. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts, and his trial is scheduled to begin later this year.
He was indicted by a grand jury empaneled by Mr. Mueller’s office as part of a separate investigation into the presidential race and related matters.
A total of 34 people and three companies were charged as a result of the special counsel’s probe, including more than a dozen Russian nationals, Mr. Stone and several other fellow former members of Mr. Trump’s campaign.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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