Special counsel Robert Mueller pushed back on the theory that CNN knew ahead of time about Roger Stone’s arrest.
“The Special Counsel’s Office is aware of no information indicating that reporters were given any advance knowledge of a possible indictment from the Special Counsel’s Office,” the government said in its response to Stone’s request to show cause for the public release of his indictment after he was arrested last month.
When Stone’s Fort Lauderdale home was raided by the FBI Jan. 25 and he was arrested, a CNN camera crew was there to capture the moment just after 6 a.m.
President Trump, Stone, and others spread claims that CNN was tipped off, possibly by the special counsel, about the arrest and raid.
CNN said that they were not tipped off, but insisted it was journalistic intuition and grand jury movement that led it to set up outside Stone’s home. The network also said that it had another camera crew set up at a separate location. Nothing happened there, which the network said is proof that it was not tipped off.
The prosecution said that it did not violate a court order when they released Stone’s indictment after his arrest.
“The government publicly released the indictment after the defendant was arrested, in accordance with the Court order unsealing the indictment when the defendant was in custody, and therefore no order to show cause is warranted,” the response states.
