A federal judge in Washington ordered Roger Stone to appear in court Thursday after the longtime Trump ally posted a photo on social media this weekend showing the judge next to crosshairs.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson is summoning Stone to court to explain why his release conditions and a media contact order she placed in the case shouldn't be revoked or changed in light of the picture. Jackson had previously placed an order prohibiting Stone and all other parties in his case from making public comments outside the D.C. federal courthouse. She also barred lawyers for the parties and witnesses from speaking with media.

That limited order could be in jeopardy after Stone posted a picture on his Instagram account this weekend showing an image of Jackson next to crosshairs. The post was taken down afterward, but not before it caught significant social media attention.

Stone's lawyers apologized to Jackson for the “improper photograph and comment” in a “notice of apology” filed with the court Monday.

“I had no intention of disrespecting the Court and humbly apologize to the Court for the transgression,” Stone said in that filing.

|

➤➤ Keep up with Trump's legal team and the latest maneuvers in the Mueller investigation. Sign up for Trump Watch by Ellis Kim.

Stone is fighting charges that he lied to congressional investigators probing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, obstructed justice and tampered with a witness. Those charges were brought by prosecutors working for special counsel Robert Mueller III and the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., Jessie Liu. Their offices are jointly handling Stone's case.

Stone is represented by Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based attorneys Bruce Rogow, Grant Smith of StrategySmith, and Robert Buschel of Buschel & Gibbons. He also has a Washington, D.C.-based attorney, L. Peter Farkas of Halloran Farkas + Kittila.

Read more: