Donald Trump’s longtime ally Roger Stone has accused Bill Barr of being a “block for the deep state,” after the attorney general shot down claims Trump lost the election due to widespread voter fraud.
In a video posted to right-wing social media site Parler, Stone accused Barr of being implicated in a conspiracy theory that there is a secret layer of government featuring unofficial individuals and advisers that influence key decisions and policies.
Trump has frequently suggested the existence of a “deep state” working against him, including recently claiming the Food and Drug Administration is trying to sabotage him by delaying a potential COVID-19 vaccine. The belief that Trump has been fighting a secret war against the deep state is also a key component of the QAnon movement.
“We have a two-tiered justice system and Bill Barr’s job is to block for the deep state,” Stone said.
The 68-year-old also suggested that there is “overwhelming and compelling” evidence of voter fraud in the election, despite Barr saying the Justice Department has not found any which would lead to a “different outcome in the election.”
In the clip, Stone also described Barr’s appointment of John Durham to act as special counsel investigating the FBI’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election as “quite clever.”
“Mr. Durham has taken three years to produce nothing whatsoever. We have overwhelming evidence of both treason and crime. And now Mr. Durham’s job is to bury all of it after the election. Bill Barr, you get what you expected.”
Trump frequently accused Robert Mueller‘s investigation into alleged Russia collusion as being a “witch hunt,” aimed to undermine his election victory over Hillary Clinton.
Stone was one of the more high-profile indictments that stemmed from the investigation. He was originally sentenced to between seven and nine years in jail after being convicted for obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements to Congress, before Barr himself intervened to help get it reduced to 40 months.
Trump commuted the sentence in July just days before Stone was due to report to prison.
Elsewhere, Fox News’ Lou Dobbsalso suggested that Barr has been “compromised” by the deep state by suggesting there has been no evidence of voter fraud.
“For the attorney general of the United States to make that statement he is either a liar or a fool or both. He may be…perhaps compromised,” Dobbs said.
“He may be simply unprincipled, or he may be personally distraught or ill. But in no way can he honestly stand up before the American people and say that the FBI has with any integrity or intensity investigated voter fraud in this country and then say it did not amount to anything.”
The Justice Department has been contacted for comment.
Johnny Louis/Getty
p:last-of-type::after,.node-type-slideshow .article-body>p:last-of-type::after{content:none}]]>
Comments