Rare that a federal indictment – particularly one criminally charging an associate of the president of the United States – directly invokes a Godfather movie
Roger Stone was arraigned on Tuesday. After he was arrested last week, he presented himself on the courthouse steps as a conquering hero. Does he have any idea what’s really in store for him?
It’s rare that a federal indictment – particularly one criminally charging an associate of the president of the United States – directly invokes a Godfather movie character. But then again, how often do we see headlines such as “President Trump Brings Mafia Ethics to the GOP” or “Donald Trump’s Mafia Mind-Set”? And now, Roger Stone, the latest Trump-related (alleged) obstructionist to face Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s steamroller, didn’t really leave a comparison to chance.
In allegedly having told “Person 2,” widely believed to be conservative radio personality Randy Credico, to not contradict Stone’s own 2017 testimony before the U. S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Stone flatly told Person 2 to “do a Frank Pentangeli,” according to the indictment. Who hasn’t seen Godfather II? Michael Corleone walks into the Senate hearing with the brother of Frankie “Five Angels” (Pentangeli) as Frankie is about to testify publicly. Seeing his brother next to Corleone, Pentangeli tells the Senators: “I don’t know no godfather;” “The FBI guys promised me a deal. So I made up a lot of stuff. . cause that’s what they wanted,” even though he earlier swore in an affidavit to the entire Corleone family structure, and that he killed on Michael’s orders.
Now, this is not to suggest in any way that Stone was even subtly threatening to kill anyone, as was clearly the case in the movie (and trying compare Trump machinations to mafia behavior is unfair). But to “do a Frank Pentangeli” is – no question – to lie under oath.
