Mueller Makes a Move: Roger Stone Arrested in Florida

He's charged with 7 counts
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 25, 2019 5:38 AM CST
Updated Jan 25, 2019 6:13 AM CST
Ex-Trump Adviser Roger Stone Indicted in Mueller Probe
FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2018, file photo, Roger Stone speaks at the American Priority Conference in Washington. Stone, an associate of President Donald Trump, has been arrested in Florida. That's according to special counsel Robert Mueller's office, which says he faces charges including witness tampering,...   (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Roger Stone, a former adviser to President Trump, was indicted Friday as part of Robert Mueller's investigation. The 66-year-old was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and charged with seven counts, among them witness tampering, obstruction, and giving false statements—some to the House intelligence committee, per the indictment. The New York Times notes it's Mueller's "first public move in months"—with months also being how long Mueller has reportedly been digging into Stone's ties with WikiLeaks, which released hacked Democratic emails in the run-up to the 2016 election. Per the indictment, the charges are related to that release of Hillary Clinton campaign chair John Podesta's emails.

Mueller's office has accused Russian intelligence officials of being behind the hack; Stone is not accused of any coordination with Russia by Mueller, reports the AP. Stone has previously repeatedly claimed to have a line of communication with Julian Assange but has said he had no knowledge of what was in the emails; CNN in 2017 published this timeline of Stone's WikiLeaks-related comments. Stone has panned the Mueller investigation and repeated President Trump's line about it being a "witch hunt." A colorful line from the Times: "His brash behavior made him less of a subject of news media scrutiny than other current and former aides to President Trump—like the character in a whodunit who readers immediately dismiss as too obvious to have committed the crime." Stone is set to make a court appearance at 11am Friday. (More Roger Stone stories.)

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