Roger Stone, the longtime friend and adviser to President Trump, will be interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday as part of lawmakers’ ongoing investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections.
The appearance before the committee, however, could set up a showdown of sorts that Stone has been itching for: his ability to address California Reps. Adam Schiff and Jackie Speier in a face-to-face setting.
In March, when the House Intelligence Committee held its first open hearing into Russia, Speier listed Stone as one of the people who fell into a trap laid by Russian President Vladimir Putin, “to do his bidding and engage with him.” Stone has also said that Speier claimed he was on the Kremlin payroll, an accusation that led Stone to say he might sue the California Democrat.
Schiff suggested in the March hearing that Stone could have colluded with Russian hackers based on comments Stone made regarding the release of emails from former Clinton campaign manager John Podesta. Stone was furious, and said Schiff had “slimed me in public, and I’d like to have an opportunity to defend myself in public.”
Stone’s gripe with Democrats on the committee closely mirrors those of Michael Caputo, a longtime Republican strategist who worked on the Trump campaign, who testified to the committee in July. Speier was not in attendance, and since then, Caputo has asked for the transcripts of his appearance to be publicly released.
Also set to testify before the committee is Boris Epshteyn, who briefly worked in the White House press office.
The appearance of both Stone and Epshteyn before the committee were confirmed by the New York Times.
