PrintRoger Stone’s last pre-arrest interview
In the immediate aftermath of Roger Stone’s indictment and arrest on the morning of Friday, January 25, Fox News Media Relations provided a transcript and a link to the video of Stone’s last mainstream media interview before he was taken into custody. The occasion was a five-minute live interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Wednesday, January 23. During the conversation with Carlson, Stone complained about the difficult financial straits he finds himself in as a result of the past year of harassment at the hands of the Special Counsel’s investigation of the Trump Administration for alleged Russian collusion. He also continued to protest his innocence in the face of the Federal charges that would soon be filed against him.
Early Friday afternoon, after Stone was freed on $250,000 bail, Fox News announced that he would appear on Tucker Carlson Tonight later this evening, Friday, January 25, between 8-9 P.M. E.T. with a replay between 9-10 P.M. P.T. According to Fox News, “Stone will react to his indictment as part of the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.”
Video via Grabien:
TUCKER CARLSON: Well the purpose of the Mueller investigation was to find Russian
agents in the United States. That's what they told us when it began. But
that's long ceased to be its purpose.
It is now a permanent federal investigation into anyone who has publicly
supported the President or made other unpopular political noises. Whether
that person did anything wrong, colluded with Russia, irrelevant.
Being the subject of a federal investigation, anyone who's been that, can
tell you is enough to wreck your life.
Roger Stone has learned that lesson. He has not been indicted for anything.
He says though that being investigated by Mueller has pushed him to the
brink of bankruptcy. Roger Stone joins us tonight with that account.
Roger, thanks very much for coming on. So--
ROGER STONE, FORMER DONALD TRUMP AIDE, POLITICAL CONSULTANT, LOBBYIST,
STRATEGIST: Tucker, thank you very much.
CARLSON: --the - the details of the investigation to the extent they're
publicly known are batted back and forth on TV every day and will have, I
suppose, decades to figure out exactly what it was about and your place in
it.
But, as of right now, you have not been indicted or even accused of any
crime, much less colluding with Russia. Tell us the effect on you and your
family of being publicly linked to this investigation.
STONE: Sure. First of all, because of the intense censorship of my own show
on Infowars, which you've talked about a lot, I appreciate the opportunity
to be here.
CARLSON: Of course.
STONE: I've been under a two-year microscope, in which every aspect of my
life has been examined, my personal life, my family life, my private life,
my business life, my political life. And that has been an extremely
draining process.
At least 12 of my current or former associates have been browbeat by the
FBI or dragged before the Grand Jury. Literally, millions of dollars have
been spent. I believe all my emails, text messages, phone calls in 2016 and
since have been scrutinized.
And today, there is still no evidence of Russian collusion, WikiLeaks
collaboration, or any other illegal act in connection with the 2016
This has been financially devastating. The leaks from the General - from
the Special Counsel's Office have devastated my private consulting
business. In December, I lost my health and life insurance, unable to pay
I had to sell my car. It was a 2006, but I had to sell it nonetheless. A
small fund, I had put aside for the college education of my grandchildren,
derived from my book sales, had to be liquidated.
I am this close - I mean, in all honesty, I struggle to pay my lawyers
first and foremost, pay my rent, pay my taxes. It is not a fun existence.
CARLSON: It's - it's unbelievable. I - I don't even - I mean you're in your
60s is my understanding. And you have no money whatsoever. You don't even
have health insurance. And you have not been informed that you are going to
be indicted, much less been indicted. I mean do you even know what the
crime is they're alleging, presuming they're alleging anything?
STONE: It's very hard to say. You have a runaway Special Prosecutor who is
accountable to no one. The - the House Intelligence Committee Democrats
keep insisting that I have perjured myself. That's a lie. There were lies
told the day I testified.
Adam Schiff said, for example, the FBI did investigate and examine the DNC
servers. But my testimony is both accurate and truthful, but I'm not even
allowed to have a copy of it, Tucker. I'm not even allowed to examine it.
My lawyers can go examine it in a sealed room in Washington. But they're
not allowed to take notes. 4.5 hours of voluntary testimony.
So, as I say, the - the financial cost has been more than a half million
dollars, projected to be substantially more, because I'm being sued by the
Democratic National Committee for non- existent Russian collusion.
I am still being investigated by the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence
Committee. And now, Congressman Schiff is gearing up a new investigation,
still haven't come up with nothing. I have had to rely on a legal defense
It - it is only through the help of good citizens and - and patriots and
supporters of the President that I am able to fend these people off.
CARLSON: So, I just - I just want to--
STONE: But the most--
CARLSON: --before we get the Mueller report, I just wanted this on tape, on
the record, you know, they better charge you with the Kennedy assassination
at the end of the day after doing this to you or anybody. That's the point.
I'm not here to defend you personally. I'm here to defend all Americans who
are not indicted against having their lives destroyed by someone who's not
accountable to anybody. It's a total outrage, I think. Anyway, Roger Stone-
Tucker Carlson and Roger Stone, Fox News Channel Jan. 23, 2019
STONE: Well-
CARLSON: --last word to you.
STONE: It is - certainly. Here's the most important thing, Tucker.
No matter how much pressure they put on me, no matter what they say, I will
not bear false witness against Donald Trump. I will not do what Michael
Cohen has done and make up lies to lease the pressure on myself.
CARLSON: Yes.
STONE: You know, my God and a great wife and my great family see me through
this.
CARLSON: Honestly, I hope I would have the integrity that if the roles were
reversed, and a Democrat was in the White House, and this was happening to
one of his supporters, who had not been accused of any national security
violation that I would defend his right not to be destroyed because I - I
Peter Barry Chowka writes about politics, media, popular culture, and health care for American Thinker and other publications. Follow him on Twitter at @pchowka
