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As the federal investigation into the Jan.6 Capitol insurgency grows, control of Donald Trump’s decades-long ally Roger Stone is set to intensify, given his ties to at least four Oath Keepers and the far-right Proud Boys who had been indicted, as well as Stone’s arsonist. comments at rallies the night before the riot and weeks before, according to former prosecutors and Stone associates
Although Stone was not part of the attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob that shocked America, the so-called “dirty trickster” – who was convicted of seven counts in inquiries into Russia over the 2016 election – but later pardoned by Trump – had extensive contact with key groups and figures involved in the riot in the weeks before and just before it began.
The night before the riot, Stone spoke at a “Rally to Save America” in Washington DC where the former president’s unfounded claims that the election was stolen by Democrats were pushed and Stone called for an “epic struggle for the future of this country, between darkness and light, between the pious and the ungodly, between good and evil”.
Early on January 6, Stone was seen in cellphone videos near a Washington hotel with six members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia serving as “bodyguards,” including three who were indicted in the part of the federal investigation. Stone, according to Mother Jones, also raised funds for “private security” events on January 5 and January 6 before the attack on Capitol Hill, which included a rambling speech from Trump urging his supporters to “fight like hell” .
Returning on December 12, Stone also spoke at a “Stop the Steal” rally that amplified Trump’s flawed claims of massive voter fraud and urged hundreds of Trump’s loyalists to “fight until bout… Never give up, never give up, never surrender, and fight for America, ”the crowd implored
Congressional investigators investigating the far-right Proud Boys, including some accused in the riot, have also reportedly examined Stone’s connections to their leaders Enrique Tarrio and Ethan Nordean, who were seen in a video in contact with Stone at another protest. in Washington the night before the Dec. 12 rally, according to Just Security
Nordean is one of at least a dozen Proud Boys who have been indicted so far in the riot investigation, and one of many who face conspiracy charges.
Tarrio, who attended Stone’s trial and had other contacts with him, was arrested in Washington two days before the riot and charged with setting a Black Lives Matter flag on fire in December and carrying magazines large capacity for weapons.
In 2016, Stone first formed the group “Stop the Steal” which raised false claims that the election was being stolen from Trump, a baseless charge that rose exponentially after the 2020 election in an attempt to undermine Biden’s victory.
Last year, Trump spoke out against Stone’s conviction in the Russia Inquiry, which included a lie to Congress and a 40-month prison sentence. But shortly before Stone entered jail in mid-2020, Trump commuted his sentence and, in December, granted him a full pardon.
Former senior prosecutors say Stone could be at the center of the federal riot investigation which has so far charged more than 300 people, including at least a dozen Proud Boys and 10 Oath Keepers, for illegal acts related to their roles in the attack on the Capitol.
“Prosecutors follow the facts and evidence where they lead, and should certainly investigate any connection between Stone and those responsible for the January 6 insurgency,” Mary McCord, a former prosecutor who headed the division of the national security to Justice at the end of the Obama administration until May 2017, said in an interview
Other ex-prosecutors go further and see Stone as a potential target.
“As a result of the pardon granted by corruption by Trump, it would not be surprising if Roger Stone becomes the holy grail of a federal prosecutor,” said Phil Halpern, who retired last year after 36 years. as an American assistant lawyer specializing in corruption cases. . “In this quest, the charged oath keepers and proud boys are just pawns leading to the ultimate prize. Rest assured, prosecutors will offer lenient treatment and other inducements in return for any testimony involving Stone in the Capitol Riot.
But some former prosecutors warn that Stone’s indictment will be difficult “in the absence of direct evidence of an intent to commit or to aid and encourage treason or seditious conspiracy,” said Paul Pelletier, former chief. Acting of the Fraud Section of the Ministry of Justice.
The Washington Post and other media have reported that Stone and Alex Jones, host of the conspiracy-focused InfoWars talk show where Stone has often appeared as a guest and promoted disinformation, are the subject of a investigation related to their links with personalities of the riot and whether they played any role in its planning.
Jones, who bragged about paying $ 500,000 for the Jan. 6 rally, and Stone have had a close bond since at least the 2016 campaign, when Stone spoke highly of Jones stating in an interview that his broadcast is “the main source of everything”.
In an email, Stone vehemently denied having anything to do with the Capitol Riot.
“Any statement, claim, implication or report alleging, or even implying, that I had any involvement or knowledge, prior or contemporary, of the commission of illegal acts by any person or group in or around the Capitol of United States or elsewhere in Washington DC on January 6, 2021, is categorically false. “
Stone has previously said he just wanted to spark “peaceful” congressional protests on January 6 and stressed that he “spoke out against the violence on Capitol Hill.”
On his website, StoneColdTruth, he made appeals for help with legal fees by requesting checks for “the STONE LEGAL DEFENSE FUND to help prepare to fend off this malicious attack on me again”.
Despite Stone’s denials, some of his former lobbying partners at Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly are dismayed at his decades-long loyalty to Trump, a client of the company in the 1980s, about a decade after Stone acquired fame for playing a small role in Richard Nixon’s scandalous campaign in 1972.
“Roger has been totally devoted to Trump for over 30 years and this has clouded his judgment on his own ethical values and led to a criminal conviction,” Charlie Black said in an interview.
“I’m not surprised that the devotion is still there, even after elections and after forgiveness.”
Likewise, Stone’s ex-partner Peter Kelly said he was shocked by Stone’s recent attempt to discredit the election results – and the similar efforts of Michael Flynn, who was also convicted during investigation into Russia and pardoned by Trump. “To see people like General Flynn and Stone who have just escaped a serious encounter with the law walking again is astounding,” Kelly said in an interview.
In 2016, Kelly lambasted Stone’s modus operandi, telling The Guardian that “Roger operates by a different set of rules, and his goal is to disrupt. He deals with the unusual.
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