Thread by @SethAbramson

IMPORTANT

Many non-lawyers don’t know you can’t claim your answers to questions would tend to incriminate you to avoid a subpoena then give a press conference declaring you did nothing wrong

Stone’s actions won’t stand, and he will end up being charged with Contempt of Congress

What supervillain Roger Stone needed to do if he wanted to take this approach was answer as many questions as possible, assert the Fifth Amendment to any questions he/his lawyer felt may tend to incriminate him, then for the first time in his sad life not give a press conference

Normally it’s difficult to assess if an invocation of the Fifth Amendment has been made in good faith, but it’s not difficult when immediately after the invocation the witness gives a televised presser saying he couldn’t possibly incriminate himself because he "did nothing wrong"

If supposed fear of a "perjury trap" could invalidate any state or federal subpoena, the American criminal justice system would collapse within one hour

The House January 6 Committee has no choice whatsoever but to refer Stone to Congress and DOJ for a federal felony prosecution

Those of us who’ve been following and reporting on Roger Stone for many years know that his stunt today was just intended to buy a few more days or weeks in the timeline of the inevitable federal prosecution of him, as he wants to extend that timeline until January 2023 if he can

For this reason, it’s incumbent upon the House January 6 Committee to pretend that today’s deposition didn’t happen at all and move forward *immediately* with referring Stone to Congress and DOJ for federal prosecution

Stone cannot be allowed to gain even an *hour* by this stunt

I’d also note that Stone’s stunt today is strong evidence that—like Trump—he’s not taking the advice of his counsel, as there’s no lawyer in America who would’ve advised the cockamamie assertion-and-presser scheme we saw one of Trump’s best friends and top advisors attempt today