Roger Stone says he will testify before House intel panel this month

Longtime informal Trump adviser Roger Stone said Thursday that he will voluntarily testify before the House Intelligence Committee behind closed doors later this month.

“Although I have again called for an open public hearing in the interest of full transparency, the hearing is currently scheduled to be in a closed session,” Stone said in a statement. “I have again asked for immediate release of the transcripts so that there will be no confusion or misinformation about my testimony.”

Stone said that “all 20 members of the committee” will be present at the Sept. 26 interview. The panel, which is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible ties to Trump associates, did not immediately return a request for comment.

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Stone has previously publicized a scheduled appearance before the committee, in July, that never materialized. Through an attorney, Stone told reporters that interview was delayed because the committee wasn’t ready. The committee then declined to confirm the details of the interview.

The former campaign adviser has repeatedly and vociferously denied any improper contact with Russia during the course of the 2016 campaign.

Stone became a focal point in the various Russia probes after bragging that he had a “back channel” relationship with WikiLeaks head Julian Assange.

His private Twitter correspondence with Guccifer 2.0 — the online identity of the leaker of some documents from the election hacking scandal — also surfaced online. U.S. intelligence agencies believe Guccifer 2.0 is a front for Russian intelligence.

“I very much look forward to testifying and I am anxious to correct a number of the misstatements by committee members regarding my activities in 2016,” Stone said Thursday.