Media

Former Prosecutor Says Stone’s Indictment Doesn’t Prove ‘Conspiracy’

(MSNBC 1/28/2018)

Mike Brest Reporter
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A former prosecutor debunked CNN’s and MSNBC’s coverage of Roger Stone’s indictment during a Monday afternoon appearance on MSNBC.

Sol Wisenberg was on “Meet the Press” with Katy Tur and discussed the ramifications of President Donald Trump’s long-time confidant being indicted. Stone was charged with seven counts, including five for making false statements to Congress, one for witness tampering and one for obstruction of a government proceeding.

The indictments did not, however, prove any sort of collusion with Russia. The charges center on Stone’s discussions with associates and Trump campaign officials about WikiLeaks and that organization’s role in releasing Democrats’ emails during the 2016 presidential campaign.

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“So he’s been charged with lying, with obstruction and with tampering with a witness. He was not charged with conspiracy. When we look back at what we have seen coming out of Mueller’s office, there have been filings about how the Russians were able to influence social media and the election,” Tur began.

She added,

There have been filings about the hacking into DNC e-mails and Hillary Clinton’s e-mails. There have been a number of filings detailing all of the people that have lied in the Russia investigation. What there hasn’t been so far is any evidence or any charges of conspiracy on the American side in terms of, like, collusion. Do you think that is because the Mueller team doesn’t have it? Are they building up a public case of sorts? What is your interpretation?”

“I don’t think they have it, I don’t think it is there, and all of this stuff I see where people are ‘ooh-ing and ah-ing’ over this indictment in terms of getting us closer to a conspiracy allegation, I think are quite incorrect,” Wisenberg stated.

“In fact, if anything, the indictment shows, tends to show, that the Trump campaign was not involved in a conspiracy because they had to ask Roger Stone, ‘Hey, go ask WikiLeaks what kind of damaging stuff they have on Hillary and when they’re going to release it next.'”  (RELATED: Mueller Indicts Roger Stone)

He continued, “That doesn’t sound like somebody leading a conspiracy or in on what’s going to happen. They’re having to ask Roger Stone, so I reject the primary narrative that I’m seeing a lot on your network and on CNN. It’s just another case of lying.”

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