Roger Stone Pleads Not Guilty In Federal Court

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- President Trump's longtime confidant Roger Stone entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday morning in federal court in Washington DC.

Stone flashed a smile as he arrived for his arraignment. He was greeted with jeers and cheers, some of his supporters yelling "Roger, you did nothing wrong."

He did not linger in the throng. Instead, he walked briskly through the courthouse doors followed by his attorneys.

Stone was arraigned on seven criminal charges of false statements, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. His lawyer entered the plea on his behalf.

On his way out of the courthouse after the hearing, Stone flashed Richad Nixon's "V for Victory" sign as he made his way to a waiting vehicle.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office accuses Stone of contacting the Trump campaign with information about WikiLeaks future releases of Democratic Party emails taken by Russian hackers. Prosecutors allege that senior Trump campaign officials sought to leverage the stolen material into a White House victory.

The indictment does not accuse Stone of coordinating with Russia or with WikiLeaks on the release of those hacked Democratic emails but alleges he misled lawmakers about his pursuit of those emails.

Stone was arrested at a Fort Lauderdale home on Jan. 25, in a pre-dawn FBI raid.

A self-described dirty trickster and longtime adviser of the President, Stone is the sixth Trump aide charged in Mueller's investigation.

Tuesday's arraignment could inspire the same circus-like atmosphere that surrounded his Friday court appearance in Fort Lauderdale, where Stone emerged from the federal courthouse flashing a Richard Nixon victory sign. He predicted his vindication and vowed that he would not "bear false witness against the president, nor will I make up lies to ease the pressure on myself."