Roger Stone crowdfunding legal bills

Roger Stone, a longtime friend and former campaign adviser to President Trump, is reportedly asking for the public’s help in covering his legal bills associated with ongoing investigations into Russia’s influence in the 2016 election.

In a statement emailed to supporters, Stone said he is hoping to raise $500,000 “to clear my name of the Deep State’s baseless charges!” according to USA Today. He asked for contributions of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or more.

The deep state is a theory espoused by some that certain non-elected actors within the government bureaucracy — in a conglomerate called the “deep state” — control the country’s policy and inner workings.

Stone has not been charged in special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing probe into Russian influence in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. He has come under scrutiny for his contact with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange prior to the election.

{mosads}Stone told members of the House Intelligence Committee in September that he has been falsely accused of colluding with Russia. He responded to the committee’s questions behind closed doors for more than three hours.

Stone and other Trump associates are facing burgeoning legal fees amid investigations from Mueller and multiple congressional committees.

The president’s campaign spent $1.1 million on legal fees in the third quarter of 2017, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. The campaign paid $237,924 to the law firm representing Donald Trump Jr.