Former Trump adviser Roger J. Stone and his wife, Nydia, have been granted a 90-day stay in the nearly $2 million tax case the U.S. government filed against them in federal court in Florida.
U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz, an appointee of former President Trump, granted a motion Wednesday pausing court proceedings in the government’s civil suit against the Stones for three months.
Defense lawyers had requested the stay this week in light of Ms. Stone, a 74-year-old former model, recently learning that she has stage 4 cancer that has spread to her lungs.
“Nydia Stone’s recent diagnosis renders her and her husband, defendant Roger Stone, unable to meaningfully participate in the case as they focus on the immediacy of Ms. Stone’s health,” the lawyers said.
The motion halts the court proceedings for 90 days. Subpoenas may still be served during that span, according to the judge’s ruling.
Mr. Stone, 68, has known Mr. Trump for decades and advised his 2016 campaign. He was convicted of obstructing a congressional investigation into Mr. Trump’s campaign and possible ties to Russia, but Mr. Trump pardoned him before he left office in January.
Federal prosecutors sued the Stones in April, seeking more than $1.9 million in unpaid income taxes and fees the government says they owe. Mr. Stone had disputed the sum owed and said he “simply ran out of money.”
Ms. Stone disclosed her cancer diagnosis in May, a month after the tax case against the couple was announced.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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