Roger Stone, Carter Page offer to appear before House intel panel
By Max Greenwood - 03/24/17 03:35 PM EDT
© Greg Nash
Two former advisers to President Trump's campaign on Friday volunteered to go before the House Intelligence Committee as part of the panel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, CNN reported.
Longtime Trump ally Roger Stone announced on Twitter that his attorneys had notified House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) of his intent to appear, noting that he wants the hearing to be public.
My lawyers have informed Chairman @DevinNunes that I will testify voluntarily and want public session @StoneColdTruth
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) March 24, 2017
"Mr. Stone deeply resents that several members of your Permanent Select Committee have intimated that he has committed treason in his political, press and social media activities," Stone's attorney wrote in a letter to Nunes.
"As Mr. Stone has repeatedly stated publicly since these matters have come to light, he is eager to voluntarily appear in open session in front of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence without the necessity of a subpoena," the letter continued. "Mr. Stone is anxious to redress the false and misleading way he has been portrayed by some on the Permanent Select Committee."
Stone faces scrutiny for communicating with Guccifer 2.0, the alias of a hacker that the U.S. intelligence community believes to be associated with the Russian government. Stone, a GOP strategist who was an informal adviser to Trump during his campaign, has admitted to the contact but called it "completely innocuous."
Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to Trump's campaign, also volunteered to go before the committee in order to "set the record straight," according to CNN.
"I would eagerly welcome the chance to speak with the Committee to help finally set the record straight following the false evidence, illegal activities as well as other lies distributed by certain politically-motivated suspects in coordination with the Obama Administration, which defamed me and other Americans," Page wrote in the letter to Nunes and committee ranking member Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffThe Hill's Morning Report - Biden to make voting rights play in Atlanta Democrats eager to fill power vacuum after Pelosi exit Overnight Health Care — Insurance will soon cover COVID-19 tests MORE (D-Calif.), CNN reported.
Page also told the network that he wanted his appearance to be public. He distanced himself from Trump, telling CNN that his connections with the campaign were limited.
"I was never paid by the Trump campaign and never made any financial contributions to that movement, with the negligible exception of purchasing a few 'Make America Great Again' hats and a 'Veterans for Trump' button," he said.
Page reportedly met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the Republican National Convention in July.
Nunes said earlier Friday that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had agreed to go before the House Intelligence Committee; he has also reportedly offered to talk to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Manafort is said to be a major focus of federal investigations into Trump and his aides' potential ties to Russia.
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