Roger Stone was indicted by the Special Counsel for lying to Congress. The extensive 24 page indictment also sprinkled breadcrumbs to where special counsel may be going. We discuss the implications of this indictment which clearly brings the conduct to the Trump campaign, and possibly the president himself.

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#RogerStone indicted. We discuss the implications on Fox News

January 28th, 2019

 Leland: Hi former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone has been charged now with seven counts, including making false statements and witness tampering. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office following that indictment in the past couple of days. Gillian Turner now with the latest on what Mr. Stone has to say for himself as well. Hi Gillian.

Gillian Turner: Hey Leland, excuse me, I got something caught in the throat. Roger Stone is slated to appear for arraignment Tuesday morning eleven AM according to the latest from court documents. Yesterday he’s showing the world he’s in a fighting mood.

Roger Stone: But I will not quit, I will not fold, I will not bend, I will not bear false witness against the president, I intend to fight because this indictment is fabricated, this the indictment is thin as can be.

Gillian Turner: The president reacting this morning with a new tweet deflecting attention from his longtime friend writing, Roger Stone was indicted for lying to Congress what about the lying done by Comey, Brennan, Clapper, Lisa Page and lover, Baker and so many others? What about Hillary and the FBI and the thirty three thousand deleted emails? What about Lisa and Peter’s deleted texts and Wiener’s laptop? Much more! While his attorney is sticking to the president’s favorite line no collusion, he’s saying in a statement on the twenty four page indictment quote, “it doesn’t allege collusion.” Now, White House staff has been echoing the message that there’s nothing doing.

Sarah Sanders: Look I mean I’m not an attorney I read the document, I’m not going to get into things I don’t know. What I do know [hesitation] is that this has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the White House.

Gillian Turner: But the house speaker is sticking to the old adage that you can tell a lot about people by their friends.

Nancy Pelosi: It’s very interesting, the type of people that the President of the United States has surrounded himself with. With this the integrity of our elections is obviously something that we have to get the truth out.

Gillian Turner: The seven charges Stone faces include, lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing a congressional investigation. The special counsel has now either indicted, convicted, or gotten guilty pleas from thirty-four people. Six of them former Trump advisors, including the President’s former Attorney National Security Adviser and campaign chairman, Leland

Leland: As the president and his folks point out, still no direct link in any of those indictments between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. We wait to see if Robert Mueller comes up with that, Gillian thanks. Kristen’s got more.

Kristen: Yeah, and for more insight let’s go to Criminal Defense Attorney and former Head Prosecutor in New Jersey, with Bob Bianchi. Bob, thanks for coming on. I’d like to start with one of the key lines in this indictment it reads that a senior Trump campaign official was directed to contact Stone about any additional WikiLeaks releases. As a former prosecutor, what do you think that the special counsel, Robert Mueller, was trying to get us to understand in that line?

Robert Bianchi: Well, what it’s basically saying is that there is now closer proximity to the Trump campaign itself, at least another member, that is Stone, and Credico, and Corsi are working actively with WikiLeaks with regard to trying to get damaging information on Hillary Clinton. And while that doesn’t show collusion, there still other pieces of the circuit that the prosecutor would have to connect in order to have a conspiracy charge or a collusion or a, you know, a conspiracy with regard to Trump himself. It certainly brings you through the door right into the middle of the campaign that they were doing something that at best is unethical, and clearly lying about it to Congress criminal.

Kristen: Stone says that the evidence against him in this indictment is thin, what do you make of that?

Robert Bianchi: No, no, it is very, very, specific here, Kristen. Multiple statements, email communications, text messages, it is very clear that when he testified to Congress, he lied to Congress. And the special counsel did an excellent job of outlining the various electronic data that they currently have. And of course, you know, there’s a search warrant, and will probably get even more. And clearly demonstrates that there were palpable false, and material lies made to Congress and to investigators. I think it’s a pretty solid case in terms of obstruction and tampering with witnesses, and threatening people.

Kristen: And you know the indictment really was kind of classic Mueller right, he dangles a little bit of information without giving away too much. Big picture here, what do you think this says about the state of the Mueller probe and where it goes next?

Robert Bianchi: I think it shows that there’s a lot of information, we need to go slow before we speculate. I believe there is a lot more connective tissue, he’s basically laid out a conspiracy indictment here but has been charged with conspiracy. It’s clear to me from all the actors and the detail of this that there are a lot more charges coming down in my opinion. Watch next Julie Assange and WikiLeaks, with regard to being conspirators with regards to this. The question will become whether or not Stone and or, the Trump campaign knew the information WikiLeaks had actually came from the Russians. If the special counsel’s able to connect that loop, expect the number of people to be indicted.

Kristen: Looking back, I mean Bob, Robert Mueller is five for five in terms of getting either guilty pleas or convictions from people associated with the Trump team, or the Trump campaign. Roger Stone would be the sixth so you know I know that Roger Stone is saying that I will not flip, I will not testify against the President of the United States because I have no evidence against him, and I won’t lie. But I mean we didn’t Cohen and Mannford essentially say the same thing? I mean, what do you think is the likelihood that Stone flips?

Robert Bianchi: I don’t see it with Stone, for some reason in my gut, first off, I’m not even sure a special counsel would even want him. He is such a bizarre and peculiar person, he has clearly in my estimation, lied on multiple occasions. He lied to the Congress, so his value as a cooperating witness to me is not there. So, I believe he’s playing to one play only that he’s got left because he is dead in this indictment based on the specificity of what we seen. And that is the pardon power of the President, other than that he has got no escape. I don’t think they even care, maybe if he comes forward with some Earth-shattering data, that can be supported and collaborated then maybe they’ll listen. And what really happens here Kristen, just so you know, because people get confused with this. He will debrief his lawyers, his lawyers will go into the special counsel and say, hey we have X, Y, and Z. And then they’ll do a proper session if possible, where he can say, he’s got to speak truthfully, everything he’s got. And then they’ll evaluate whether there’s a value to it, but I don’t see him doing that because I think he’s locked in and I don’t think he’s valuable to the special counsel. I think the pardons his only out.

Kristen: All right, well we’ll see him in court next Tuesday right here in DC. Bob, thank you so much.

Robert Bianchi: Yes, Kristen.

Kristen: Leland.