Roger Stone is a colorful Republican operative long known for political dirty tricks and the tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back.
It was vintage Roger Stone: The longtime Republican operative flashed a Nixonesque double-armed victory sign after being indicted Friday for lying to federal investigators.
Stone, with his self-professed political dirty tricks and the tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back, has long lurked in the shadows of Donald Trump’s world and was instrumental in guiding him on his first steps to the White House.
Stone was only officially on the president’s campaign for a few months, but would spin reporters, peddle conspiracies and, according to prosecutors, collaborate with WikiLeaks to release damaging information about Hilary Clinton in the final stretch of the 2016 campaign. He was arrested Friday for lying to investigators and trying to tamper with a witness.
Stone has a knack for commanding attention: He sports impeccably tailored suits and close-cropped bleach blond hair and is willing to say just about anything. He has known Trump for decades, pushing him to run for president as far back as 1998 after seeing in the New York celebrity developer the potent political combination of charisma, money and controversy.
Stone on Friday denied any wrongdoing, flashing Nixon’s famous « victory » sign as he stood outside a Florida courthouse hours after he was arrested by FBI agents who moved on his house before dawn. He decried his arrest as motivated by the president’s political enemies and as an example of overreach by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating 2016 election interference and possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
« There is no circumstance whatsoever under which I will bear false witness against the president nor will I make up lies to ease the pressure on myself, » Stone said after being released.
Stone had predicted his own arrest for months, trying to raise money for his defense online while making sure to stay in Trump’s good graces, perhaps with an eye on a presidential pardon down the road.
Trump tweeted Friday that Stone’s arrest was part of the « Greatest Witch Hunt in the History of our Country! » Last month, after Stone said he would not testify against the president, Trump praised his « guts.
