A conservative watchdog group filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Justice Department for records relating to pre-dawn raid of Roger Stone’s Florida home and CNN’s coverage of the arrest.
In a Thursday press release, Judicial Review said it was filing the lawsuit because the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller’s office failed to respond to FOIA requests over potential communications between CNN and law enforcement.
When Stone, a longtime confidant of President Trump, was arrested at his home on Jan. 25, a CNN camera crew was at the scene and filmed the dramatic early-morning arrest. Stone and others have alleged that the news network had a source in the Office of the Special Counsel or FBI that tipped off the network to the impending arrest.
“It’s disconcerting that CNN was aware that I would be arrested before my lawyers were informed. So, that’s disturbing,” Stone said on Fox News after his arrest.
CNN pushed back on allegations of a tip-off and credited the camera crew being in position due to “reporter’s instinct” and that the “the whole Russia team thought maybe something was happening.” The Office of the Special Counsel also denied that it tipped CNN off to the raid on Stone’s Fort Lauderdale, Fla., home.
Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said his group was being “stonewalled” in its mission to get more information on the arrest.
“This was a simple request for information about any leaks to CNN regarding the controversial raid and arrest of Roger Stone. That we’re being stonewalled suggests that someone has something to hide,” Fitton said in a statement. “Judicial Watch is investigating the investigators, and it’s time for them to come clean.”
Stone was charged with lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing justice.
