Ex-Trump advisor accuses Russia probe of 'Gestapo tactics'

Veteran Republican consultant Roger Stone said Sunday his predawn arrest by US federal agents as part of the Russia collusion probe amounted to "Gestapo tactics" intended to prejudice a potential jury in his prosecution.

Stone was raided at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday, becoming the sixth campaign associate of President Donald Trump indicted in the investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into possible collusion with Moscow in the 2016 election.

"I'm 66 years old. I don't own a firearm, I have no prior criminal record, my passport has expired," Stone told ABC's "This Week" news magazine program.

He complained that it was "extraordinary" for a 29-member SWAT team with numerous cars, amphibious vehicles and a helicopter to make the arrest, adding that he was forced to look "down the barrel of assault weapons" as he opened his front door in bare feet.

"They could have called my lawyers and I would have turned myself in," he said.

"It was an expensive show of force to try to depict me as Public Enemy Number One... to poison the jury pool. These are Gestapo tactics."
"Again, I think it is designed to intimidate me or perhaps seek personal information that can be used to embarrass me that has nothing to do with Wikileaks, Russia, the 2016 campaign or anything else."