Stone, who began his career as a political
trickster for Richard Nixon and claims credit for pushing Donald Trump
to run for president, lashed out at the committee for spreading "lies"
in a written statement ahead of his closed-door testimony.
After
more than three hours speaking with the House Intelligence Committee,
which has access to top-secret information on Russian activities from
intelligence bodies, he said his view had not changed.
"I think it's an entirely political exercise," he told reporters in the halls of Congress outside the committee room.
Stone,
who had earlier lashed out at specific members of the committee, one of
three in Congress investigating the alleged Russian election meddling,
said the discussion was "productive" and "pretty collegiate".
The
dapper 65-year-old, a behind-the-scenes tactician for a long series of
Republican political campaigns, taunted the committee before heading to
Congress early Tuesday.
"Never pass up a chance to have sex, be on television or testify before a House Congressional Committee," he said in a tweet.
He
followed that with a tweeted photograph in the Trump International
Hotel in Washington Monday evening with a huge martini glass, and
another holding a classic 1976 tome, "The Russians" by Hedrick Smith,
quipping: "Preparing for my testimony."
But,
facing a hearing in which he had to testify under oath for the first
time, his prepared statement took serious aim at allegations that he had
communications with Russian hackers and WikiLeaks.
"I
view this as a political proceeding because a number of members of this
committee have made irresponsible, indisputable and provably false
statements in order to create the impression of collusion with the
Russian state," he said.
"I do not engage in any illegal activities on behalf of my clients or the causes which I support."
"There is one 'trick' that is not in my bag and that is treason."
Intel on Russia 'politicized'
He
also said the US intelligence community has not provided evidence of
their conclusion that Russians boosted Trump's presidential campaign and
that the two sides colluded.
"Our intelligence agencies have been politicized," he said
Stone
said he did not tell the committee who his journalist go-between was in
contacts with Wikileaks during the election campaign. Stone has been
accused publicly but not formally of having collaborated with the
anti-secrets group in its release of stolen Democratic Party
communications and documents.
He said he
would ask the journalist for "release" to be able to provide their
identity to investigators, but before that he would remain true to his
promise of confidentiality.
"I'm not going to burn somebody I spoke to off the record," he said.
Meanwhile
Stone said that Trump's former presidential campaign chief Paul
Manafort expects to be indicted in the probe over Russian election
meddling.
"His attorneys informed my attorneys of that," Stone, a longtime friend of Manafort, told reporters.
However, he added, "They seem to know neither when or what the charge may be."
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