As the federal investigation into the January 6 Capitol uprising expands, the investigation into Donald Trump’s decade-long ally Roger Stone is expected to intensify, given his links to at least four far-right Eatholders and Proud Boys charged, plus Stone ‘s assault comments on rallies the night before the riot and in previous weeks, say former prosecutors and associates of Stone
Although Stone was not part of the attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob that shocked America, the self-proclaimed ‘dirty deceiver’ – who was convicted on seven charges of the Russian investigations into the 2016 election but was later forgiven by Trump in the weeks before and just before its inception had numerous contacts with key groups and figures involved in the riot.
The night before the riot, Stone spoke at a “Rally to Save America” in Washington where the former president’s unfounded allegations that the election was stolen by Democrats were being pushed and Stone’s an epic battle for the future of this country. , between darkness and light, between the wicked and the wicked, between good and evil ”.
Early on January 6, Stone was seen in cell phone videos near a hotel in Washington that, along with six members of the far-right militia Oath Keepers, served as his “bodyguards,” including three charged in the federal investigation. Stone, according to Mother Jones, also raised funds for “private security events” on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 before the Capitol attack, including a rambling speech by Trump urging his supporters to “fight like hell.”
Back on December 12, Stone also spoke during a “Stop the Steal” march that reinforced Trump’s false allegations of massive election fraud and urged hundreds of Trump loyalists to “fight to the bitter end … Never give up , never stop, never surrender, and fight for America, ”Stone begged the crowd
Congressional investigators looking at the far-right Proud Boys, including some charged in the riot, also allegedly investigated ties Stone had with their leaders Enrique Tarrio and Ethan Nordean, who during a demonstration in a video in contact with Stone was seen. according to DC the night before the rally on December 12 in DC, according to Just Security
Nordean is one of at least a dozen proud boys charged in the riot investigation so far, and one of several facing conspiracy charges
Tarrio, who attended Stone’s trial and had other contact with him, was arrested two days before the riot in DC and charged with setting a Black Lives Matter flag on fire in December and charging for carried high-capacity weapons.
Back in 2016, Stone first formed the group “Stop the Steal” which led to false allegations that Trump’s election would be stolen, an unfounded charge that increased exponentially in 2020 to try to undermine Biden’s victory.
Last year, Trump opposed Stone’s conviction in the Russian investigation, which included lying to Congress and imposing a 40-month prison sentence. But shortly before Stone would go to jail in mid-2020, Trump reversed his sentence and granted a full pardon in December.
Former senior prosecutors say Stone could be a growing focus in the federal investigation into the riots that have plagued more than 300 people, including at least a dozen Proud Boys and 10 Eaters for illegal acts related to their role in the Capitol -attack.
“Prosecutors are following the facts and evidence leading to this, and should definitely investigate any links between Stone and those responsible for the January 6 uprising,” said Mary McCord, a veteran prosecutor who eventually led the National Security Division at Justice. has. of the Obama administration until May 2017, said in an interview
Other former prosecutors go further and view Stone as a potential target.
“Because of Trump’s corrupt forgiveness, it would not be surprising for Roger Stone to become a federal prosecutor,” said Phil Halpern, who retired after 36 years last year, as an assistant U.S. attorney. who specialized in corruption cases, retired. . ‘In this quest, the accused oath-takers and proud boys are merely pawns leading to the ultimate prize. Rest assured, prosecutors will pursue indulgent treatment and other incentives in exchange for any evidence Stone involved during the riot in Capitol. ”
But some former prosecutors warn that Stone’s accusation will be difficult “absent direct evidence of an intent to commit or aid in treason or riotous conspiracy”, said Paul Pelletier, a former acting head of the Justice Department ‘s fraud department, said
The Washington Post and other stores reported that Stone and Alex Jones, the hosts of the conspiracy-driven InfoWars talk show where Stone regularly appeared as a guest and promoted disinformation, are being investigated in connection with their ties to figures in the riot and as they played any role in its planning.
Jones, who boasts that he paid $ 500,000 for the protest on January 6, and Stone have had close links since at least the 2016 campaign, when Stone spoke passionately about Jones and stated in an interview that his program ‘the greatest source of all’ is.
Stone vehemently denied in an email that he had anything to do with the riot in the Capitol.
“Any statement, allegation, insinuation or report that alleges, or even implies, that I have had any involvement in or knowledge, whether prior or concurrent, about the commission of any illegal acts by any person or group in or around the U.S. Capitol or anywhere in Washington DC on January 6, 2021, is categorically false. ”
Stone said earlier that he simply wanted to encourage “peaceful” protest action by Congress on January 6 and stressed that he had “exposed the violence in the Capitol”.
On his website, StoneColdTruth, he called for help with legal costs by requesting a check for ‘the STONE LAW FUND to help me repel this malicious assault’.
Despite Stone’s denial, some of his former lobbying partners at Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly are upset about his decades-long marriage to Trump, a client of the firm in the 1980s, about a decade after Stone’s notoriety acquired for playing a small role in the 1972 scandal-ridden Richard Nixon campaign.
“Roger has been committed to Trump for more than thirty years, and it has clouded his judgment of his own ethical values and led to a criminal conviction,” Charlie Black said in an interview.
“I’m not surprised that the commitment is still there, even after the election and after the apology.”
Former Stone partner Peter Kelly also said he was shocked by Stone’s recent efforts to discredit the election results – and similar efforts by Michael Flynn, who was also convicted in the Russian investigation and forgiven by Trump. “Seeing people like Gen. Flynn and Stone who just escaped a serious encounter with the law is again great to walk on the edge,” Kelly said in an interview.
In 2016, Kelly Stone’s modus operandi exploded, telling the Guardian: ‘Roger works according to a different set of rules, and his goal is to disrupt. He deals in the unusual. ”