Alex Jones is no stranger to legal controversies. Just last week, as NBC News reported, the professional conspiracy theorist was found liable for damages in lawsuits brought by parents of children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre — a shooting Jones said was a “giant hoax.” It was the fourth defamation lawsuit Jones has lost against Sandy Hook families.
Roger Stone’s legal controversies have been just as dramatic. Two years ago, a jury convicted the Republican operative of multiple crimes, including obstruction, lying to investigators, and witness tampering. Last summer, before Stone could begin his 40-month prison sentence, Donald Trump commuted his sentence. It was among the most brazenly corrupt steps of Trump’s term, featuring a then-president rescuing a convicted felon who lied on his behalf as part of a broader cover-up. A Washington Post editorial called Stone’s commutation “one of the most nauseating instances of corrupt government favoritism the United States has ever seen.”
Two days before Christmas 2020, Trump went further and pardoned Stone.
Yesterday, as NBC News reported, Jones and Stone made headlines again.
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol issued subpoenas Monday to high-profile allies of former President Donald Trump, including Roger Stone and Alex Jones. The committee is looking at Stone, a longtime adviser to Trump, and Jones … in connection with a rally near the Capitol shortly before a pro-Trump mob stormed the building in early January.
A New York Times report added, “Mr. Stone promoted his attendance at the rallies on Jan. 5 and 6, and solicited support to pay for security through the website stopthesteal.org. While in Washington, he used members of the Oath Keepers as personal security guards; at least one of them has been indicted on charges that he was involved in the Capitol attack.”
Jones also joined Stone for a Jan. 5 gathering at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel near the White House.
It is, in other words, not a surprise that congressional investigators hoping to learn more about the Capitol assault would want to chat with the longtime GOP operative and with the InfoWars publisher.
The Stone and Jones subpoenas were part of a batch, which also included demands for information from Dustin Stockton, Jennifer Lawrence, and Taylor Budowich, each of whom were reportedly involved in organizing post-election rallies.
For those keeping score, this was the seventh batch of subpoenas — the first of which went out in September — issued by the bipartisan select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.
Jones and Stone both issued written statements yesterday denying any wrongdoing. Neither men said whether they intended to honor the subpoena.
If recent history is any guide, the former president will likely encourage them not to cooperate with the investigation, though executive privilege isn’t much of an option since Stone and Jones did not work for the Trump administration. As for possible legal consequences for ignoring congressional subpoenas, Steve Bannon’s recent indictment continues to loom large over the process.
