I recently got an email from Roger Stone’s grandson asking for donations to his grandfather’s legal defense fund. I imagine it’s because I have been an investor in the cannabis industry and Stone has come out as proponent of legalization. But that does not make us allies, nor excuse his crimes.
Stone’s grandson, Nick Stevens, repeated the usual, hollow, Trumpian talking points about a “witch hunt” and an out-of-control investigation fueled by partisan politicians and “sore loser” Democrats. Sorry kid, but I’m not buying it and I’m not the least bit moved by your grandpa’s legal problems.
Let’s be perfectly clear here and let’s stick to the facts: Roger Stone said he spoke with Julian Assange and knew about the WikiLeaks Russian hacked emails. He then contradicted himself and denied it as the Russian investigation gained steam and it became obvious he might be implicating himself. Never forget, Stone has a long history of dirty tricks, lies and disingenuous behavior stretching back to his time in the Nixon administration.
As for his grandson’s assertion that the Russian investigation is a “witch hunt,” that might work with the Trump crowd who also give money to TV evangelists, think coal jobs are coming back and enrolled in Trump University. However, to anyone with a lick of common sense (folks who read real news, wonder why Donald Trump won’t criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin and question why the U.S. president hasn’t produced his tax returns like he promised), the “witch hunt” accusations are a gigantic pile of steaming horse dung designed to distract dimwits from some potentially serious crimes.
The Russian investigation is being led by a decorated Vietnam War hero named Robert Mueller, a Republican who has been praised in the past by Republicans and Democrats alike for his honesty and integrity. Mueller’s team is bipartisan, clean as a whistle and doing their job. What folks like Stone don’t like is that Mueller is making real progress and charging people like Mike Flynn, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos (all close Trump friends and advisers) with serious crimes like money laundering, witness tampering and lying to the FBI.
Mueller has brought more than 100 charges against 20 people, several of whom are now cooperating with the investigation.
That’s a lot of witches.
So while it’s true Stone has recently come out as a friend of the legal cannabis community — going so far as to call Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ rescission of the Obama-era Cole Memo a “cataclysmic mistake” — we don’t need him or his type. We’ll win the marijuana legalization fight without the help of creepy backroom opportunists.
In my view, Stone’s a disingenuous jerk who helped Trump lie his way into the presidency. He’s now worried that the dirty tricks and dishonest behavior he committed prior to the election are catching up to him, and like a lot of white collar criminal types, he’s suddenly trying to appeal to the gullible that he’s an innocent man being unfairly targeted.
Of course, Richard Nixon said that too (and Stone admires his disgraced former boss enough to get Tricky Dick’s face tattooed on his back).
To Stone and his grandson, I’d say this: Take your appeal elsewhere. The legal marijuana community is made up of people who are smart enough to see through your crap. We don’t need you, your lies or your help. And we’re certainly not going to contribute money to defend you for what appears to aiding a foreign power (Russia) to subvert our democratic elections.
Onward and upward, Mr. Mueller!
Greg James
Publisher