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Roger Stone, a key ally of Donald Trump, has been arrested on charges of obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements, the office of special counsel Robert Mueller announced on Friday.

Stone was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following an indictment by a federal grand jury on 24 January in Washington DC, said a spokesman for Mueller, who is investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election and any ties to the Trump campaign.

Stone will appear in court in Fort Lauderdale later on Friday, the spokesman said.

Mueller’s indictment alleges that during the summer of 2016 Stone spoke to senior Trump campaign officials about WikiLeaks “and information it might have had that would be damaging to the Clinton campaign. Stone was contacted by senior Trump campaign officials to inquire about future releases by” WikiLeaks, which the document refers to as “Organization 1”.

It states that Stone – a longtime political adviser to Trump – made “multiple false statements” about his interactions regarding WikiLeaks, and “falsely denied possessing records that contained evidence of these interactions”, and “attempted to persuade a witness to provide false testimony to and withhold pertinent information from the investigations”.

The document later states that on or about 4 October 2016, the head of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, “held a press conference but did not release any new materials pertaining to the Clinton campaign. Shortly afterwards, Stone received an email from the high-ranking Trump campaign official asking about the status of future releases by [WikiLeaks]. Stone answered that the head of [Wikileaks] had a “[s]erious security concern” but that [WikiLeaks] would release ‘a load every week going forward’.”

On or about 7 October 2016, the indictment states, WikiLeaks “released the first set of emails stolen from the Clinton Campaign chairman [John Podesta]”.

“Shortly after [WikiLeaks’] release, an associate of [a] high-ranking Trump campaign official sent a text message to Stone that read ‘well done’. In subsequent conversations with senior Trump campaign officials, Stone claimed credit for having correctly predicted the October 7, 2016 release.”

41. From in or around May 2017 through at least December 2017, within the District of Columbia and elsewhere, the defendant ROGER JASON STONE, JR., corruptly influenced, obstructed, impeded, and endeavored to influence, obstruct, and impede the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which any inquiry and investigation is being had by either House, and any committee of either House and any joint committee of the Congress, to wit: STONE testified falsely and misleadingly at a HPSCI hearing in or around September 2017; STONE failed to turn over and lied about the existence of responsive records to HPSCI’s requests about documents; STONE submitted and caused to be submitted a letter to HPSCI falsely and misleadingly describing communications with Person 2; and STONE attempted to have Person 2 testify falsely before HPSCI or prevent him from testifying.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1505 and 2.

43. On or about September 26, 2017, within the District of Columbia and elsewhere, in a matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch of the Government of the United States, the defendant ROGER JASON STONE, JR., knowingly and willfully made and caused to be made materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations, to wit:


2
STONE testified falsely that he did not have emails with third parties about the head of Organization 1, and that he did not have any documents, emails, or text messages that refer to the head of Organization 1.
3
STONE testified falsely that his August 2016 references to being in contact with the head of Organization 1 were references to communications with a single “go-between,” “mutual friend,” and “intermediary,” who STONE identified as Person 2.
4
STONE testified falsely that he did not ask the person he referred to as his “go-between,” “mutual friend,” and “intermediary,” to communicate anything to the head of Organization 1 and did not ask the intermediary to do anything on STONE’s behalf.
5
STONE testified falsely that he and the person he referred to as his “go-between,” “mutual friend,” and “intermediary” did not communicate via text message or email about Organization 1.
6
STONE testified falsely that he had never discussed his conversations with the person he referred to as his “go-between,” “mutual friend,” and “intermediary” with anyone involved in the Trump Campaign.

All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1001(a)(2) and 2.

39. Following Person 2’s invocation of his Fifth Amendment privilege not to testify before HPSCI, STONE and Person 2 continued to have discussions about the various investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election and what information Person 2 would provide to investigators. During these conversations, STONE repeatedly made statements intended to prevent Person 2 from cooperating with the investigations. For example:

a. On or about December 24, 2017, Person 2 texted STONE, “I met [the head of Organization 1] for f[i]rst time this yea[r] sept 7 . . . docs prove that. . . . You should be honest w fbi . . . there was no back channel . . . be honest.” STONE replied approximately two minutes later, “I’m not talking to the FBI and if your smart you won’t either.”

b. On or about April 9, 2018, STONE wrote in an email to Person 2, “You are a rat. A stoolie. You backstab your friends-run your mouth my lawyers are dying Rip you to shreds.” STONE also said he would “take that dog away from you,” referring to Person 2’s dog. On or about the same day, STONE wrote to Person 2, “I am so ready. Let’s get it on. Prepare to die [expletive].”

c. On or about May 21, 2018, Person 2 wrote in an email to STONE, “You should have just been honest with the house Intel committee . . . you’ve opened yourself up to perjury charges like an idiot.” STONE responded, “You are so full of [expletive]. You got nothing. Keep running your mouth and I’ll file a bar complaint against your friend [the attorney who had the ability to contact the head of Organization 1].”

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:The scary thing is these are the people who exercise influence in our world.

- Doc

EAllusion wrote:

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:The scary thing is these are the people who exercise influence in our world.

- Doc

What gets me is the essential elements of the picture we are getting from the Mueller investigation were all there during the 2016 campaign. Clinton called Trump out on it repeatedly during the campaign. All that stood between it and what seemed fairly apparent was plausible deniability that looked rather implausible. And yet, the election turned on a ginned up pseudoscandal instead.

Kevin Graham wrote:Associate of a high ranking Trump official texted Stone "Well done" after Wikileaks first release of Clinton emails.

Paragraph 12 of the indictment says an official believed to be Steve Bannon was instructed to contact Stone. How many people were above Bannon?