Ex-Trump Aide Stone Says Appeared Before January 6 Panel But Did Not Answer Questions

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Former Trump adviser Roger Stone on Friday said he appeared for a disposition before the House committee probing the January 6 Capitol riot but did not answer any questions from the panel.

"This morning in fulfilment of a federal subpoena I did my civic duty and I responded as required by law," Stone told reporters. "I did invoke my fifth amendment rights to every question, not because I have done anything wrong but because I am fully aware of the House Democrats' long history of fabricating perjury charges on the basis of comments that are innocuous in material or irrelevant."

On Monday, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution to hold former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress for failing to fully cooperate with the January 6 committee. Contempt of Congress charges can result in a penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

In addition, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is already being prosecuted for refusing to cooperate with the House committee probe into the Capitol riot. He faces two counts of contempt of Congress, to which he pleaded not guilty, for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena that ordered him to provide testimony.

On 6 January, a group of Trump supporters entered the US Capitol in a bid to protest the lawmakers certifying the 2020 election results. Trump claimed the election results in several US states were invalid due to the election and voter fraud that robbed him of election victory. The authorities shot one protester dead during the incident and charged over 700 people for participating in the event.