J
GEOFF BENNETT HAS MORE ON THAT.
>> Reporter: ROGER STONE'S
INDICTMENT IS RAISING NEW
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN'S PURSUIT OF THOSE
DEMOCRATIC E-MAILS HACKED BY THE
RUSSIANS IN THE LEAD UP TO THE
20 ELE16 ELECTION.
AND STONE'S ARREST IS SPARKING
NEW CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT ELSE THE
SPECIAL COUNSEL MIGHT HAVE
UNCO
UNCU
UNCO
UNCOVERED.
ROGER STONE MADE HIS CASE ON
KABLG NEWS.
>> IT IS ABOUT VIOLENCING ME.
I INTEND TO PLEAD NOT GUILTY.
>> Reporter: STONE SLAMMING THE
INDICTMENT WHICH ACCUSES HIM OF
OBSTRUCTION, LYING AND WITNESS
TAMPERING IN THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION.
>> MANY OF THESE THINGS IN THE
INDICTMENT I HAVE ALREADY
ADDRESSED AND REBUTTED.
THE IDEA THAT THEY NEED
EVIDENCE, THEY HAVE BEEN IN MY
E-MAIL, MY TEXT MESSAGES, MY
PHONE CALLS FOR TWO YEARS.
>> Reporter: THE SEVEN CHARGES
LISTED INCLUDE LYING TO CONGRESS
ABOUT HIS EFFORTS TO UNCOVER
DAMAGING E-MAILS HACKED BY THE
RUSSIANS.
FROM THE DEMOCRATS AND HILLARY
CLINTON'S
ALSO INCLUDE THIS IS STUNNING
DETAIL THAT AFTER THE FIRST
WIKILEAKS DUMP OF HACKED E-MAILS
IN JULY 2016, A SENIOR TRUMP
CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL WAS DIRECTED
TO CONTACT STONE ABOUT ANY
ADDITIONAL RELEASES.
ROGER STONE WAS DEFIANT FRIDAY
AFTER HIS FEDERAL COURT
APPEARANCE IN FT. LAUDERDALE.
CHANNELING HIS IDOL RICHARD
NIXON.
>> I BELIEVE THIS IS A
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
INVESTIGATION.
>> Reporter: THE SELF DESCRIBED
DI
DIRTY TRICKSTER ADVISED DONALD
TRUMP FOR DECADES.
>> I'M ONE OF HIS OLDER FRIENDS.
I'M A FERVENT SUPPORTER OF THE
PRESIDENT.
>> Reporter: JUST LAST MONTH
TRUMP SAID STONE HAS GUTS FOR
SAYING HE WOULD NEVER TESTIFY
AGAINST THE PRESIDENT.
THE WHITE HOUSE NOW ATTEMPTING
TO DISTANCE THE TWO.
>> THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
THE PRESENTED OR THE WHITE
HOUSE.
>> Reporter: SANDER DIDN'T
RESPOND DIRECTLY WHEN ASKED IF
IT WAS MR. TRUMP THAT TOLD THE
CA
CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL TO STONE.
>> THERE IS NO PROOF HERE.
>> Reporter: LONGER STONE IS NOW
THE SIXTH ASSOCIATE OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP IN-DIEDED IN THE MUELLER
VERY.
AND THE PRESIDENT'S FORMER
CONVICTED CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN PAUL
MANAFORT WAS IN COURT YESTERDAY
TOO IN THAT SEPARATE CASE
PROSECUTORS TOLD THE COURT THEY
DIDN'T THINK MANAFORT SHOULD GET
ANY SPECIAL CREDIT WHEN HE IS
SENTENCED NEXT MONTH SINCE
PROSECUTORS ALLEGE THAT MANAFORT
LIED TO FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS
AFTER HE AGREED TO COOPERATE IN
THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
>> GEOFF, THANK YOU.
WE WANT TO BRING IN MATTHEW
MILLER, A SECURITY ANALYST AND
FORMER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
SPOKESMAN IN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION.
MATT, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> SO THESE CHARGES DON'T ACCUSE
STONE OF DIRECTLY COLLUDING WITH
RUSSIANS DURING THE COURSE OF
THE CAMPAIGN, BUT THEY CERTAINLY
DO
BRING ROBERT MUELLER'S
INVESTIGATION ONE STEP CLOSER TO
THE PRESIDENT'S INNER CIRCLE.
WHY IS THIS INDICTMENT SO
SIGNIFICANT?
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO
TAKE AWAY FROM THIS, IT DOES NOT
YET ALLEGE CRIMINAL COLLUSION
BETWEEN THE 2RUTRUMP CAMPAIGN A
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT, BUT IT
IS THE CLOSEST WE'VE GOTTEN YET
TO ANSWERING THAT QUESTION.
IT LAYS OUT A SERIES OF CONTACTS
BETWEEN ROGER STONE WITH
WIKILEAKS AND THEN ROGER STONE
AND THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
AND I THINK THE BIGGEST QUESTION
GOING FORWARD, IS THERE ARE MORE
EVIDENCE THE SPECIAL COUNSEL HAS
THAT HE IS HOLDING ON TO UNTIL
LATER, IS THIS ALL HE HAS, OR HE
IS STILL INVESTIGATING.
>> AND ONE OF THE PRESIDENT'S
LAWYERS RUDY GIULIANI SAYS THAT
THIS IS NOTHING TO DO WITH
COLLUSION, JUST FALSE
STATEMENTS.
IS THAT FAIRWAY TO READ IT?
>> TWO THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, FALSE STATEMENTS
ARE IMPORTANT.
A FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE
SHOULD KNOW THAT.
SECOND, PEOPLE OFTEN MAKE FALSE
STATEMENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE
TRYING TO COVER UP AN UNDERLYING
CRIME.
AND THAT IS PART OF THE
ALLEGATION HERE, THAT LONGER
STONE WAS TRYING TO COVER UP HIS
BEHAVIOR AND THE BEHAVIOR OF
OTHERS DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
NOW, WHAT WE DON'T HE KNOW IS
DID HE HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH
THE PRESIDENT DURING THE
CAMPAIGN ABOUT THIS.
THE PRESIDENT HAS DENIED THAT,
ROGER STONE HAS DENIED THAT, BUT
IT IS REPORTED THAT THEY WERE ON
THE PHONE MULTIPLE TIMES DURING
THE FALL OF 2016 WHEN THE
WIKILEAKS DUMPS WERE GOING ON.
SO I THINK THAT QUESTION IS
NATURAL TO GOING FORWARD TO HOW
FAR THIS CONSPIRACY WOULD GO
INSIDE THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
>> ONE OF THE KEY LINES THAT
LEGAL EXPERTS ARE POINTING TO
THIS MORNING IS THE FOLLOWING,
I'LL PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN.
IT SAYS A SENIOR TRUMP CAMPAIGN
OFFICIAL WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT
STONE ABOUT ADDITIONAL RELEASES,
RELEASES ARE FROM WIKILEAKS,
ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON.
THERE IS ONLY SO MANY SENIOR
TRUMP CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS AND
ONLY SO MANY PEOPLE WHO COULD
DIRECT A SENIOR CAMPAIGN
OFFICIAL.
IS THIS ZEROING IN ON THE
PRESIDENT?
>> I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT IS
ONE OF THE MOST TANTALIZING
DETAILS IN THIS ENTIRE
INDICTMENT.
IT IS WRITTEN VERY STRANGELY,
THIS PASSIVE USE OF SOMEONE WAS
DIRECTED.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT SENIOR CAMPAIGN
OFFICIALS WHO WOULD NATURALLY BE
IN CONTACT WITH ROGER STONE,
OBVIOUSLY PAUL MANAFORT, RICK
GATES WOULD KNOW HIM WELL.
BUT THEN THIS USE OF THE PASSIVE
VOICE TO SAY WAS DIRECTED.
USUALLY YOU WOULD SEE THAT
WRITTEN AS SENIOR CAMPAIGN
OFFICIAL ONE, DIRECT SENIOR
CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL TWO.
THE WAY THAT THEY KIND OF
CONCEAL THAT DETAIL LEADS YOU TO
BELIEVER IT IS PROBABLY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE DON'T KNOW HE THAT FOR SURE.
BUT IT IS AN ODD USE OF TERMS
THE WAY THEY WRITE THAT
INDICTMENT