Andrew Miller, Roger Stone's former longtime aide, proves unwilling to abide by a grand jury subpoena for the third time, leading a federal judge to hold him in contempt of court.
U.S. District Chief Judge Beryl Howell made the ruling Friday after a sealed hearing to discuss Andrew Miller’s refusal to appear before the grand jury ...
Miller’s lawyer Paul Kamenar said after the hearing that Miller was “held in contempt, which we asked him to be in order for us to appeal the judge’s decision to the court of appeals.”
Howell stayed her order while Miller’s legal team appeals the judge’s decision.
Miller lost a court battle earlier this month to quash a subpoena, after Howell issued a 93-page opinion saying Miller must testify before the grand jury.
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A hearing transcript from June 18 shows Miller was subpoenaed for information about Stone as well as key figures in the 2016 hacking of the Democratic National Committee, and the public release of Democrats’ emails during the campaign.
According to that transcript, the subpoena seeks information from Miller about the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks and its leader, Julian Assange. WikiLeaks published large volumes of hacked Democrats’ emails during the campaign.
The subpoena also seeks information about Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks. Investigators say both were online fronts invented by Russian intelligence operatives to spread the hacked documents.
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Miller had asked for “some grant of immunity” regarding financial transactions involving political action committees for which he assisted Stone, according to Alicia Dearn, an attorney for Miller.
On that issue, Miller “would be asserting” his Fifth Amendment right to refuse to answer questions, Dearn said.
As for the hacking and WikiLeaks questions, Dearn said at the hearing, “we don’t believe he has any information” about those topics.
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Prosecutors called it contradictory for Miller’s lawyers to claim, on the one hand, that he knew nothing of value and participated in no illegal activity, and simultaneously claim an unspecified Fifth Amendment concern.
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Miller worked for Stone during the 2016 presidential campaign, handling duties such as setting up media interviews. He is one of at least a half-dozen of Stone’s associates to be called to testify. Others include his driver, John Kakanis, and a social media consultant, Jason Sullivan. Kristin Davis, who gained notoriety in the 2000s as the “Manhattan Madam” when she ran a high-end prostitution ring, is also expected to testify to the grand jury.
Judge holds Roger Stone associate in contempt for refusing to testify in Russia investigation (WaPo)