Roger
Stone has been indicted by a grand jury on charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, who alleges that the longtime Donald Trump associate sought stolen emails from WikiLeaks that could damage Trump's opponents at the direction of "a senior Trump Campaign official."
The indictment's wording does not say who on the campaign knew about Stone's quest, but makes clear it was multiple people.
This is the first time prosecutors have alleged they know of additional people close to the President who worked with Stone as he sought out WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
"After the July 22, 2016, release of stolen (Democratic National Committee) emails by Organization 1,
a senior Trump Campaign official was directed to contact STONE about any additional releases and what other damaging information Organization 1 had regarding the Clinton Campaign.
STONE thereafter told the Trump Campaign about potential future releases of damaging material by Organization 1," prosecutors wrote.
Stone was arrested by the FBI Friday morning at his home in Florida, his lawyer tells CNN.
He was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on seven counts,
including one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of false statements, and one count of witness tampering.
The special counsel's office said he will appear before a federal judge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at 11 a.m. ET.
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The indictment.
On October 7, 2016, after WikiLeaks released its first set of emails, prosecutors say Stone received a text message from "an associate of the high-ranking Trump campaign official" that said "well done,"
signaling that the Trump campaign was looped in on Stone's quest for dirt on Democrats.
The associate and the high-ranking campaign official are not named in the complaint,
though the indictment describes how Stone told a reporter that what Assange had in the unreleased emails was good for the Trump campaign.
Stone responded at the time, "I'd tell [the high-ranking Trump Campaign official] but he doesn't call me back."
An email matching that wording that was published by The New York Times shows that the official Stone referred to was Steve Bannon.
After the October 7 releases, Stone boasted to "senior Trump Campaign officials" that he had correctly predicted the data dump, prosecutors say.
Stone has maintained publicly that he did not know in advance about what WikiLeaks would release.
That alleged lie, which he also told to Congress, forms the basis for some of his other criminal charges in Friday's indictment.
The indictment also alleges that Stone lied to Congress about "his communications with the Trump Campaign about Organization 1." In the indictment, Organization 1 is WikiLeaks.
The indictment unsealed Friday after Stone's arrest makes clear he communicated with multiple people about what Assange knew, and they were providing him updates from Assange and what Stone wanted to communicate with him. Prosecutors cite text messages and emails he exchanged with the people about what Assange had, and one sent a photo of himself standing outside the Ecaudorian embassy in London, where Assange has stayed for years.
The men passed on much of the information after WikiLeaks began speaking publicly about stolen documents it had but before all had been released.
According to previous reporting, those people included radio host Randy Credico and Jerome Corsi. They are unnamed in the indictment and have not been charged with crimes.
Stone also communicated with a "supporter involved with the Trump Campaign" via a text message about what else Assange had.
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Early morning raid.
A number of law enforcement vehicles with silent sirens flashing pulled in front of Stone's home on a darkened Ft. Lauderdale street just after 6 a.m. Friday morning.
About a dozen officers with heavy weapons and tactical vests fanned out across Stone's lawn.
Law enforcement shined a flashlight into Stone's front door before one officer rapped against it, shouting, "FBI. Open the door."
Seconds later, the agent shouted, "FBI. Warrant."
A floor light turned on and moments later, Stone appeared in the front entryway. He confirmed who he was to law enforcement.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
