Roger Stone, a longtime ally and confidant to President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty in Washington federal court Tuesday, accompanied by his Florida attorneys after initial hiccups in court filings raised uncertainty about his representation.

The Republican operative appeared with Fort Lauderdale attorneys Robert Buschel of Buschel & Gibbons and Grant Smith of StrategySmith after a magistrate judge twice said they failed to follow local rules to appear. Stone was also joined by Washington lawyer L. Peter Farkas of Halloran Farkas + Kittila.