Ex-Trump Aide Roger Stone Convicted of Lying to Congress, Witness Tampering

Roger Stone with his wife, Nydia Stone, leaves federal court in Washington on Nov. 15, 2019. Julio Cortez/AP Photo

Former Donald Trump campaign aide Roger Stone was found guilty by a jury in federal court on Nov. 15 of all seven counts he was charged with.

Stone was convicted of obstruction, witness tampering, and making false statements to Congress.

Federal Judge Amy Jackson released Stone on his own recognizance. He’s slated to be sentenced on Feb. 6, 2020.

The government wanted Stone held in prison until the sentencing but Jackson denied that request, though she ordered him to keep abiding by a gag order that forbids him from speaking publicly about the case.

Stone faces up to 20 years in prison.

Reacting to the conviction, President Trump wrote in a statement: “So they now convict Roger Stone of lying and want to jail him for many years to come. Well, what about Crooked Hillary, Comey, Strzok, Page, McCabe, Brennan, Clapper, Shifty Schiff, Ohr & Nellie, Steele & all of the others, including even Mueller himself? Didn’t they lie?”

“A double standard like never seen before in the history of our Country?” he added.

Stone was indicted (pdf) in January on charges of making false statements to the House Intelligence Committee during its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and attempts to persuade a witness to give false testimony and withhold pertinent information from investigators.

At the time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the indictment “makes clear that there was a deliberate, coordinated attempt by top Trump campaign officials to influence the 2016 election and subvert the will of the American people.”

“In the face of 37 indictments, the President’s continued actions to undermine the Special Counsel investigation raise the questions: what does Putin have on the President, politically, personally or financially? Why has the Trump Administration continued to discuss pulling the U.S. out of NATO, which would be a massive victory for Putin?” she added.

Special counsel Robert Mueller concluded an investigation into Trump’s campaign several months later. His team was unable to establish conspiracy or cooperation between Trump or his campaign and Russia.