Republican political adviser Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of US President Donald Trump, has been charged in the course of the Russia investigation and has been temporarily arrested. He is the 34th defendant on the list of special investigator Robert Mueller.
The 66-year-old is accused in the accusation brought by Mueller obstruction of investigations by the congress, false statements and witness influence, as the office of the special investigator announced. Stone was arrested early this Friday (local time) by federal FBI officers at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, CNN reported. In the afternoon he was released under conditions and on deposit of a bail of $ 250,000 (€ 220,000) released.
„Biggest witch hunt in history“
The White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, struggled to reject any connection of the allegations with Trump. „The allegations against Roger Stone have nothing to do with the president,“ Sanders told CNN. „The president did nothing wrong.“ There had been no collusion with Russia. Trump spoke on Twitter and complained about the „biggest witch hunt in the history of our country“. Even traffickers and drug dealers would be better off, Trump said. Referring to the pictures of the arrest, he continued, „Who alerted CNN to be there?“
Greatest Witch Hunt in History of Our Country! NO COLLUSION! Border Coyotes, Drug Dealers and Human Traffickers are treated better. Who alerted CNN to be there?
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2019
Stone had been connected to the Trump team during the presidential campaign. In August 2016, he introduced contacts with WikiLeaks. According to investigators, Stone said he „communicated“ with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, calling it „completely legal.“ The investigative platform published internal emails from Democratic party headquarters and the campaign team of Trump’s rival Hillary Clinton in 2016, which had been hijacked by alleged Russian hackers.
Communication with „Guccifer 2.0“
Later, Stone changed his accounts: He did not communicate directly with Assange and did not know that Russia was behind the hack on the Democrats. However, last year it became public that Stone communicated via Twitter with „Guccifer 2.0“, a pseudonym used by Russian intelligence agents. According to the indictment Stone is said to have obstructed later the investigations in the congress on the alleged cyberinterventions and the role of WikiLeaks thereby.
Key figures in prison
Stones name fell in connection with the Russia affair again and again – he is Mueller 34th defendant. Among them are two dozen Russians and several people associated with Trump himself, including his former national security advisor Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, former leader of his election campaign, who is now in jail.
Trump could be particularly dangerous Michael Cohen: His ex-lawyer and longtime confidant is considered a key figure in the Russia investigations. Cohen has fallen out with Trump and now cooperates with Mueller. Excitement is expected to hear Cohen before the US Congress. When exactly this happens is still unclear. In December, a federal court in New York sentenced Cohen to three years in prison for payment of illegal campaigning, false congressional statements, and tax evasion.
„Trying to silence me“
Stone had also criticized Mueller’s investigations, which Trump repeatedly called „witch hunts“ in the past. In May, he told broadcaster NBC that the investigation should „silence and punish“ Trump’s supporters and advocates. It is not excluded that Mueller eventually conjures up an „irrelevant offense“ against him, „said Stone at that time. „I would take that as an attempt to silence myself.“
Stone had also announced that he would not testify against Trump. He would „under no circumstances“ testify against the president, „because I would have to make false statements against him,“ he said in December in the station ABC. „I would have to invent things, and I will not do that.“ For that, he received glowing praise from the President, who praised Stone’s „courage.“
Nixon tattoo and dictator advisor
Stone looks back on a long career as a lobbyist and policy advisor. He began his career in the re-election of Richard Nixon (1972) and had the 37th President tattooed on his shoulder blades. Together with Manafort he advised numerous dictators such as Mobutu Sese Seko (1965-1997) in Congo and Ferdinand Marcos (1965-1986) in the Philippines. During the 2000 presidential election turmoil in Florida, he was involved in a protest that led to the demolition of recounting – possibly contributing to the highly controversial victory of George W. Bush.
His relationship with Trump goes back a long way. In 1988 he is said to have tried for the first time to persuade him to a presidential candidacy. Later, he is said to have been the driving force behind the conspiracy theory for the birth certificate of former President Barack Obama. Stone’s engagement as Trump’s advisor ended in 2016, when he published a book called „The Making of the President 2016“.
