Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham is requesting a briefing from the FBI on the tactics it used when agents arrested former Trump adviser Roger Stone in an aggressive pre-dawn raid last week as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
Video provided by CNN showed agents — wearing flak jackets and night vision goggles and armed with AR-15s — running up to Stone’s Ft. Lauderdale home and banging on the door.
“FBI, open the door! FBI, warrant!” they shouted. The 66-year-old Stone then appeared in the doorway in his pajamas and was led away.
In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Graham said that he wants a briefing before Feb. 5, as he’s “concerned about the manner in which the arrest was effectuated, especially the number of agents involved, the tactics employed, the timing of the arrest, and whether the FBI released details of the arrest and the indictment to the press prior to providing this information to Mr. Stone’s attorneys.”
My questions and full letter to the FBI Director about the tactics used in the arrest of Roger Stone. pic.twitter.com/y1s67DF3Yu
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
Among the questions Graham has for Wray are whether the tactics used were consistent with the arrests of similarly charged individuals, and whether anyone from the special counsel’s office tipped off CNN.
Today I wrote to the FBI about the arrest of Roger Stone.
My questions include:
1) Why was it necessary to arrest Mr. Stone at his home in the early morning hours, rather than working through his attorneys to permit him to surrender voluntarily?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
2) Was the manner of Mr. Stone's arrest consistent with the arrests of, and procedures for the arrests of, similarly charged individuals?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
3) Were usual procedures for obtaining and executing arrest and search warrants followed with regard to Mr. Stone?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
4) Did the Special Counsel's office issue a press release and release the indictment to the press prior to informing Mr. Stone’s attorneys of the arrest?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
5) Did anyone at the FBI, DOJ, or the Special Counsel's office alert CNN, any other media outlet, or anyone outside of law enforcement that the arrest was going to occur on the morning of January 25, 2019?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
Graham made clear that he still supports the special counsel’s investigation and the FBI even though he has questions about their tactics in this case.
Since his appointment, I have supported Special Counsel Mueller’s ability to conduct his investigation without interference.
Moreover, I have always been a strong admirer and supporter of the FBI.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
However, while I firmly support law enforcement taking into account threats to officer safety, flight risk, and the need to ensure evidence is preserved…..
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
Although I am sure these tactics would be standard procedure for the arrest of a violent offender, I have questions regarding their necessity in this case.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
The federal raids on Stone, Michael Cohen, and Paul Manafort are reminiscent of the over-the-top, gestapo-like tactics used by the federal government during the Obama years in pursuit of the alleged white-collar criminals at Mountain Pure Water Bottling Company, Duncan Outdoors, Inc., and Gibson Guitar, among many others.
For some time now, federal warrants against businesses for minor white-collar crimes have involved raids conducted by heavily armed SWAT teams.
In most — if not all — of the cases, there didn’t seem to be any motive for the aggressive tactics, other than to terrorize and intimidate the subject of the investigation.
It’s good that Graham is asking questions about the Stone raid. It wouldn’t be a bad idea, in fact, if Congress took a wider interest in the “in terrorem” tactics of the FBI and DOJ against political enemies.
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