CRIME
Feds Investigating Whether Roger Stone ‘Radicalized’ Trump Supporters Who Stormed Capitol: Report
Roger Stone is reportedly under investigation for his role in planning to Jan. 6 insurrection to undo Donald Trump’s election loss.
Federal prosecutors are building a conspiracy case against right-wing militants who allegedly plotted the insurrection, and investigators are looking into the roles Stone and Alex Jones may have played in radicalizing Trump supporters who joined the assault on the U.S. Capitol, according to Los Angeles Times legal affairs columnist Harry Litman.
“I think they are leaving no stone unturned to kind of portray and determine the color of what happened here, were the insurrectionists influenced by staff, members of Congress, Trump loyalists like Roger Stone and Alex Jones,” Litman told MSNBC’s Zerlina Maxwell. “They’re really wanting to paint a full picture rather than — we see the biggest charges against some of the people, they are criminal conspiracy and insurrection, they pack plenty of wallop already, and that is the overall code they are going after but the picture deservedly is one of terrorism. These were domestic terrorists.”
Stone and Jones have come up in court documents for other defendants, and they both spoke at rallies the night before the attack and the morning of Jan. 6, and Litman suggested that investigators believe they may have helped incite the riot.
“They were not just there,” he said. “They made really incendiary comments and, look, we already do have a conspiracy — nine people have been charged so anyone, including Stone, Jones, [Ali] Alexander who adopted that unlawful purpose and did any overt act would be guilty of conspiracy. In the case of a Stone, we know from previous conduct that the [Justice] Department isn’t spoiling generally to go after him and former Trump people, but the paramount goal here is to really leave, forgive the expression, no stone unturned with respect to Jan. 6.”
Investigators seem to be focused on determining whether those individuals helped radicalize participants like Thomas Webster, a former New York City police officer who’s accused of attacking Capitol police during the riot.
“So even if it’s only a matter of understanding why these other people, the Websters of the world, were radicalized and why they listened to this obviously false propaganda, you still want to know about Stone and Jones, etc.,” Litman said. “But could it progress to potential charges? You bet, because all it would be a matter of is their having adopted the same agreement that already has been charged.”
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.