Former informal Trump adviser Roger Stone said late Friday following his indictment in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe that he has “never” discussed a possible presidential pardon with President Trump.
“I have never had any discussion with him or communication with him regarding that. I have no idea what he might do,” Stone said on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time.”
“I don’t expect to be convicted, so I’m not going to address it. I don’t address hypothetical questions,” he added when asked if he would accept a pardon.{mosads}
Stone was indicted earlier Friday on seven counts: one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of false statements and one count of witness tampering.
Stone asserts he was falsely accused as part of a “politically motivated” investigation and that he will fight the charges in court.
The longtime GOP strategist and informal Trump campaign adviser has been under intense scrutiny as part of Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russia during the 2016 election.
Stone has long faced questions about his alleged ties to WikiLeaks, the whistleblower organization that published troves of Democratic emails U.S. officials say were hacked by Russian operatives before the 2016 election.
The Republican operative made several public statements at the time that seemed to predict WikiLeaks’s releases, though he’s maintained he had no coordination with the group.
While Trump has not mentioned a pardon for Stone, he again lashed out at Mueller following the indictment on Friday, slamming the probe as the “Greatest Witch Hunt in the History of our Country!”
Stone is the sixth Trump associate to be charged in Mueller’s inquiry. He is set to be arraigned in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.