Ex-Trump adviser Roger Stone slapped with sweeping gag order following Instagram post

A visibly angryjudge has imposed a sweeping gag order against Roger Stone after the former political adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump told a court Thursday he had abused instructions not to speak about criminal charges against him in the Russian election interference probewhen he posted an Instagram photo of thejudge next to what appeared to be the crosshairs of a gun.

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Stone he cannot speak publicly about the case, address it on social media or comment indirectly on it through surrogates. If the order is violated again, Stone will be thrown in jail, Jackson said.

"I abused the order," Stone toldthe judgeduring a hearing to examine whether he should besanctioned. "I am kicking myself over my own stupidity."

"Your honour, I can only beseech you to give me a secondchance," Stone said. "Forgive me the trespass."

Who is Roger Stone? Facts about the man arrested in U.S. election tampering case:

Who is Roger Stone? Facts about the man arrested in U.S. election tampering case

6 years ago

Duration 4:07

U.S. political consultant Roger Stone, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, was arrested Friday as part of the FBI's investigation. Stone now faces charges of lying to investigators, obstructing justice and witness tampering.

In a tense court hearing, Jackson saidStone's apology and explanations for why he posted aphoto of her next to the image of the crosshairs of a gun on hisInstagram account were not credible.

"Thank you, but the apology rings quite hollow," she toldStone.

"What all of this means, Mr. Stone, is that any violation ofthis order will be a basis for revoking your bond and detainingyou pending trial. So I want to be clear today I gave you asecond chance. But this is not baseball. There will not be athird chance."

Stone has pleaded not guilty to charges of making falsestatements to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering aspart of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation ofRussian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. Mueller is alsoinvestigating possible coordination between the Trump campaignand Moscow officials.

Stone claims he didn't realize photo had crosshairs

Trump denies collusion and Russia deniesU.S. allegations it interfered to undermine the Americandemocratic process.

Since his arrest in January, Stone has been free on a$250,000 US bond with court permission to travel to certain U.S. cities.

Last week, Jackson prohibited Stone or his attorneys fromspeaking with the news media or making statements near thefederal courthouse about the case, in order to reduce the riskof tainting the jury pool and harming his right to a fair trial.

Stone was still allowed to discuss the case away from thecourthouse.

"How hard was it to come up with a photo that didn't havethe crosshairs in the corner?" Jackson asked Stone.

Stone said he had asked a volunteer to provide aphoto and said he did not review it ahead of time.

"I didn't even recognize it was crosshairs ... until it wasbrought to my attention by a reporter," Stone said at thehearing.

Stone's lawyer, Bruce Rogow, said his client did not violate the gag order in the case or his conditions of release.

Prosecutor Jonathan Kravis, however, called on the judge to put tighter restrictions on Stone's communications, saying his testimony "was not credible."