Former Trump adviser Roger Stone has vowed to file a “very strong” antitrust case against Twitter after being banned by the microblogging site. His account was suspended after he attacked CNN anchors in a series of tweets.
“I am advised I have a very strong legal case. Twitter wants to avoid being regulated like a utility. No one has been willing to file the antitrust case. I am,” he told New York magazine on Sunday. Stone, however, didn’t disclose when exactly he plans to sue the social media site, but said: “I’ll be baaaaaak…They [Twitter] will soon learn they have bitten off more than they can chew.”
Stone lashed out at CNN anchors and commentators Friday night, moments after the channel reported that a federal grand jury in Washington, DC, had approved the first charges in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Stone's Twitter account was suspended after the tweets, he confirmed on Saturday. The account remained blocked at the time of writing.
“Several media outlets are reporting that I have been permanently banned but Twitter has not informed me that that is the case – yet they seem to be telling reporters I am permanently banned,” Stone wrote on Facebook. He was apparently referring to BuzzFeed News, which reported that the suspension against the ally of President Donald Trump would be permanent.
Stone’s website, StoneColdTruth, has launched a petition calling for the account to be unblocked. “After a weekend of epic and blunt truth-telling about CNN reporters, the censorship police at Twitter have banned the official Roger Stone account. He exposed their hypocrisy on the Russia collusion hoax, and questioned the intelligence of on-air talent,” the statement on Stone’s website said.
READ MORE: Roger Stone: ‘Neo-McCarthyism’ to blame for claims of Russian collusion
Stone, a long-time friend of Trump, has recently demanded a public apology from leading Democratic members of Congress, accusing his rivals of conducting a “witch-hunt” against him ahead of his appearance before the House Intelligence Committee. He accused committee members of “neo-McCarthyism” for alleging collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia .
“Our intelligence agencies have been politicized,” he adds, criticizing the lack of evidence provided by US intelligence bodies to support claims of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
READ MORE: ‘GOP hit man’ Roger Stone AWOL after CNN bans him for racist tweets