The 24-page, seven-count indictment against Roger Stone accuses the longtime Donald Trump adviser of making false statements, witness tampering and obstruction in an alleged attempt…
The 24-page, seven-count indictment against Roger Stone accuses the longtime Donald Trump adviser of making false statements, witness tampering and obstruction in an alleged attempt to throw off investigators regarding his purported role as go-between with the Trump campaign over WikiLeaks’ dissemination of stolen emails from the Hillary Clinton campaign.
While it does not mention WikiLeaks by name, referring to the group instead as “Organization 1,” the indictment makes clear that the outfit, headed by Julian Assange, is at the heart of the case.
Here are the top takeaways from the full indictment:
Much of the background involves his alleged efforts to find out the timing and content of the stolen emails and refers to Assange by description as the individual holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London during the height of the furious exchanges.
The grand jury indictment, released by special counsel Robert Mueller, refers repeatedly to Stone’s alleged interaction with senior Trump campaign officials to keep them posted on the content of stolen emails and the timing of their release.
It charges specifically that Stone, a personal friend of Trump and a Republican operative dating to the Richard Nixon era, was “contacted by senior Trump Campaign officials to inquire about future releases by Organization 1” (WikiLeaks) in the summer of 2016.
“On multiple occasions, Stone told senior Trump Campaign officials about materials possessed by (WikiLeaks) and the timing of future releases,” the indictment says.
At one point, Stone purportedly gets an email from a person described as a “high-ranking Trump Campaign official” asking about the status of future releases. Stone replies that he expects WikiLeaks to release “a load every week going forward.”
At another point, in a text with a supporter involved with the Trump camp, Stone asks if the person wants to switch to a “secure line” such as Whatsapp.
After the first release of emails in October 2016, an associate of the high-ranking Trump official sent a text to Stone that read: “Well done.”
The charges involve Stone’s alleged response to the opening of investigations by Congress and the FBI into Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election, including looking into Stone’s claims of contact with WikiLeaks.
“In response, Stone took steps to obstruct these investigations,” the indictment charges.
