„We`ve managed legal defense funds for a lot of people,” he said. „I don`t see how that reputation would affect.” Despite a recent muzzle order preventing Stone from publicly discussing his criminal case and special counsel Robert Mueller`s investigation, Caputo says the order has triggered „a steady rain of support” for the legal fund. Stone, a longtime informal adviser to President Trump, attended an Oktoberfest event sponsored by Florida Atlantic`s conservative team in Broward, Florida, on Monday. There, he raised money for his defense while defending the president and criticizing Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. In a follow-up email following the report`s release, Caputo said, „It`s important to note that my GoFundMe efforts were just a small boost. Roger needs to raise over $2 million to fight the charges, and he`s busy doing it alone. He continues to raise money aggressively. Despite the lack of evidence of Russian collusion, collaboration with Wikileaks or other illegal activities during the 2016 election, longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone was targeted by special counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller is attempting to criminalize Roger Stone`s normal political activities while ignoring the blatantly illegal activities of the Clinton campaign and Obama`s NSA, DOJ, and FBI. Russia deploys 20 hypersonic missiles at test site, signaling another milestone Jackson stepped up the muzzle order for Stone at that Feb. 21 hearing, barring him from making public statements about his criminal case — with the caveat that he can still publicly request donations to his legal defense fund. Additional requests were made to Stone`s attorneys, Grant Smith and Robert Buschel, but no comment was immediately available from Stone`s legal team.
Editor`s note: This article was edited after publication to reflect a response from Stone`s legal team and for clarity. According to the defense fund`s website, the fund itself is managed by Robert Watkins & Company, an accounting firm based in Tampa, Florida. In fact, all controls are designed to „maintain” the accounting firm. President Donald Trump`s longtime confidant`s online legal defense fund Roger Stone hit its $100,000 goal on March 15, former Trump political adviser Michael Caputo told CNBC. The defense fund`s website states the following message from Stone himself: „I have no intention of coordinating my activities with the official campaign,” he said. But I think there are things that are perfectly legal, fully reportable and independent that can be done to help the president. And I think of some of them. In the run-up to Stone`s trial on Nov. 5, Trump`s former political adviser Michael Caputo told CNBC he plans to host another crowdfunding site for his friend. Stone is accused of lying to Congress and obstructing a House investigation. Roger Stone, a notorious conservative and criminal political fixer, spoke Saturday at two private events in Las Vegas hosted by Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore to raise money for his defense costs. In fact, Stone, or someone working on behalf of Stone, registered the current domain name for its legal defense fund the day after Stone`s congressional testimony.
That is, the day after Stone allegedly made several false statements while under oath. Proceeds from the two fundraising events, one for small donors at 2 p.m. and a VIP dinner at 6 p.m. for those willing to donate $500 or more, go directly to its Legal Defense Fund. The events were not open to the media or the public, Ahern security personnel said. The legal fund was created in December after Stone, 66, was praised by Trump for vowing never to testify against the president as part of Mueller`s investigation into Russian interference and Trump`s possible collusion in the 2016 election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. {mosads} The Sun Sentinel reported that more than 45,000 people across the country donated to Stone`s defense fund, which reached two-thirds of its $3 million goal. At the event, Stone also nearly sold out his book „Stone`s Rules: How to Win at Politics, Business, and Style.” The online legal defense fund of President Donald Trump`s longtime confidant Roger Stone hit its $100,000 goal in March, even after a strict muzzle order in Stone`s criminal case ended the Republican`s campaign of criticism against special counsel Robert Mueller. CNBC reported that two of Stone`s websites, which were partially used to raise money for his defense against Mueller, were recently taken down.
How the Watkinses came to work for Stone, 66, is unclear. The company has been listed on Stone`s defense fund since at least August 2017, according to website records. By then, it had become clear that Stone was a person of interest in Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s investigation. Stone`s Guts Fund launched the same day on fundraising site GoFundMe. Less than four months later, the goal of raising $100,000 for Stone`s bills has been reached, Caputo said Thursday.