‘A total subterfuge’: Watergate prosecutor thinks Trump pretended to fire Roger Stone for ‘plausible deniability’

Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Ackerman -- who interviewed Roger Stone in 1973 as part of the investigation into Richard Nixon -- laid out a fascinating theory on Tuesday's "The Beat" with Ari Melber.

The host played a clip of Stone -- who has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back -- claiming he couldn't testify truthfully against President Donald Trump.

"On the narrow question, is that true?" Melber asked. "Or could he testify accurately and defend the president?"

"He can't testify accurately," Ackerman replied. "He is right in the middle of the soup here."

"He is the person that is the link between the Russians, between [Julian] Assange, and Donald Trump," Ackerman noted.

"He's the guy that left the campaign in late 2015 -- supposedly fired, under that pretext -- so he could go out and have the plausible deniability of doing his usual dirty tricks routine for Donald Trump and then come back," Ackerman charged.

"You're alleging his firing was a subterfuge for planned Wikileaks [inaudible]?" Melber asked.

"A total subterfuge," he replied.

Ackerman also recalled his history with Stone.

"Roger Stone has been a serial liar since the day I met him in 1973 and questioned him in my office," he noted.

Yesterday, Stone threatened to sue Ackerman.

View this post on Instagram

This senile old crank, Nick Ackerman is a loud mouthed blow-hard who’s criticism of me on MSNBC has crossed the line into defamation. I am going to sue this asshole for every penny he has @msnbc

A post shared by Roger Stone (@rogerjstonejr) on Dec 3, 2018 at 12:13am PST

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