ROGER STONE IS A DIRTY TRICKSTERS IN THE SLEAZY PATH OF LEE ATWATER.
HIS ACTIONS HAVE CROSSED LINES AND HE'S FINALLY PAYING A PRICE.
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New: as questions swirl about his credibility, Roger Stone settles defamation case and admits to spreading false information online.
Roger Stone Admits Spreading Lies on InfoWars
Trump adviser made the admission in settling a defamation suit brought against him by an exiled Chinese businessman
By publishing retractions of earlier statements, Mr. Stone could avoid paying $100 million in damages to an exiled Chinese businessman.
As questions swirl about his credibility, former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone settled a defamation suit seeking $100 million in damages on Monday for publishing false and misleading statements on InfoWars.com, a far-right website known for promoting conspiracy theories.
The agreement requires Mr. Stone to run ads in national newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, apologizing for making defamatory statements about a Chinese businessman who is a vocal critic of Beijing. It also requires Mr. Stone to publish a retraction of the false statements on social media. Doing so exempts him from paying any of the damages.
In a text message, Mr. Stone described his conduct as “irresponsible” and added that “I am solely responsible for fulfilling the terms of the settlement.”
Unrelated to the Russia probe, Mr. Stone’s settlement is the latest indication that his use of various media platforms to spread unfounded claims isn’t without consequences. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office is investigating Mr. Stone’s role in orchestrating stories about key events being examined in the Russia probe, the Journal has reported.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), who is expected to take control of the House Intelligence Committee, said on Sunday of Mr. Stone’s testimony last year: “I believe there’s ample reason to be concerned about his truthfulness.” Mr. Stone has accused Mr. Schiff of “smear tactics” and said he stands by his testimony.
The settlement resulted from a lawsuit filed in Florida federal court in March by exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui. Mr. Guo sued Mr. Stone for falsely accusing him of being a “turncoat criminal who is convicted of crimes here and in China.” Mr. Stone also accused Mr. Guo of violating U.S. election laws by making political donations to Hillary Clinton, according to the lawsuit. It is illegal for foreign nationals to donate to U.S. election campaigns.
Mr. Stone did not respond to a question about how the settlement impacts him financially. In recent weeks, he has publicly complained of his mounting legal bills, which are likely to soar higher as he continues to be of interest to investigators probing Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“This threatens to bankrupt my family and destroy me financially,” Mr. Stone said of the Russia probe on an InfoWars broadcast earlier this month. He asked for financial support and said his bills already exceed half a million dollars.
Mr. Guo drew scrutiny from Beijing in 2017 after he launched a high-stakes social media campaign alleging wrongdoing and corruption by China’s political and business elites. Beijing declared Mr. Guo a criminal suspect and requested an Interpol arrest notice against him, while Mr. Guo applied for asylum in the U.S., making him a flashpoint in China-U.S. relations.
Mr. Guo became a target of Mr. Stone’s a few months after launching his campaign, according to the lawsuit. In an interview last month Mr. Guo claimed that Mr. Stone was paid to make the defamatory remarks about him on InfoWars. He said the payment ultimately came from a Chinese-American media tycoon named Bruno Wu, whom Mr. Guo previously accused of being a spy for the Chinese government. Mr. Wu has filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Guo for these and other claims.
Mr. Stone’s settlement identifies Mr. Wu as “the apparent source of the information” about Mr. Guo and says it was conveyed to him by a former member of Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.
Mr. Stone said he should not have relied on the former staffer, Sam Nunberg, for the information. Both Mr. Nunberg and Mr. Wu declined to comment.
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