Stick with us for a bit here. As Twitchy reported, Roger Stone was arrested in a pre-dawn raid at his home that involved more than two dozen members of law enforcement and some 17 vehicles. “So they arrest him like he was El Chapo,” tweeted one observer, and then they released him on $250,000 bail. Oh, and CNN just happened to be there an hour before it all went down to catch the whole thing on video.
Sen. Lindsey Graham has questions about the arrest and laid them out in a Twitter thread Wednesday:
Today I wrote to the FBI about the arrest of Roger Stone.
My questions include:
1) Why was it necessary to arrest Mr. Stone at his home in the early morning hours, rather than working through his attorneys to permit him to surrender voluntarily?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
2) Was the manner of Mr. Stone's arrest consistent with the arrests of, and procedures for the arrests of, similarly charged individuals?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
3) Were usual procedures for obtaining and executing arrest and search warrants followed with regard to Mr. Stone?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
4) Did the Special Counsel's office issue a press release and release the indictment to the press prior to informing Mr. Stone’s attorneys of the arrest?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
5) Did anyone at the FBI, DOJ, or the Special Counsel's office alert CNN, any other media outlet, or anyone outside of law enforcement that the arrest was going to occur on the morning of January 25, 2019?
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
Since his appointment, I have supported Special Counsel Mueller’s ability to conduct his investigation without interference.
Moreover, I have always been a strong admirer and supporter of the FBI.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
However, while I firmly support law enforcement taking into account threats to officer safety, flight risk, and the need to ensure evidence is preserved…..
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
…..I am leery that a subject of the Special Counsel’s investigation, who had retained counsel, had publicly stated that he believed that he would at some point be indicted, and was apparently willing to surrender voluntarily, was arrested in a pre-dawn raid at his home.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
Although I am sure these tactics would be standard procedure for the arrest of a violent offender, I have questions regarding their necessity in this case.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 30, 2019
And here’s where NPR’s Justice Department reporter comes into the picture.
This is remarkable. Another example of how the party that once campaigned on “law and order” has made a shift in the Trump era (at least when it comes to investigations involving the president’s associates or enemies). https://t.co/gBPorheRgc
— Carrie Johnson (@johnson_carrie) January 30, 2019
This is remarkable because the GOP campaigns as the “law and order” party? So no questions asked when the FBI response seems a little heavy-handed and made for cable news? Back in the Black Lives Matter days we were told to always question law enforcement and its motives.
OK, we'll put you down for Gestapo tactics as long as its directed at your enemies.
— Merry Murphy (@meredithdicken1) January 30, 2019
Carrie is a “journalist”
— Big Bri (@Roundishball) January 30, 2019
Questioning whether an arrest of an American citizen was handled properly and if an arrest based on a sealed indictment was *illegally* leaked is objectively advocating for law and order.
It's embarrassing for you that this must be explained to a "journalist."
— Frank Hart (@FrankHartII) January 30, 2019
Asking questions about a pre-dawn raid by FBI agents with their weapons drawn to facilitate the arrest of a 66 year old man with no criminal history of violence does not contradict having once campaigned on "law and order." So I am not quite sure what's so "remarkable." https://t.co/iZacq6g0cV
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) January 30, 2019
Hilarious redirection of the issue. He was not a flight risk. He does not even have a valid passport. Pre dawn raid was all a news stunt. Are you new here?
— Curtis Spicoli (@bginna) January 30, 2019
You consider it a "law and order" issue when 20 man SWAT teams are going on pre-dawn raids to arrest sexagenarians with no history of violence indicted for a non-violent crime?
— Aaron Henager (@AaronHenager1) January 30, 2019
Not really. They sent more men than were sent to get Osoma Bin Laden. It was silliness for Mueller to show off to his Dem base.
— Moral over Factual (@HmmInterdasting) January 30, 2019
You lost me at "NPR". What an absolute rag.
— TheDiveWhisperer (@thdivewhisperer) January 30, 2019
You are conveniently ignoring that the "law and order" party was never a big fan of the feds. Also NPR should be defunded.
— arik (@arikarikari) January 30, 2019
When their reporters think asking questions is wrong, yeah: defund.
— Rather Notsay (@rathernotsay) January 30, 2019
Related:
REALLY? Oliver Darcy scolds those spreading CNN/Roger Stone arrest story ‘without evidence’ as irony detectors EXPLODE https://t.co/mJvgDe20N0
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 25, 2019
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