Prosecution says Roger Stone lied to Congress to protect Trump; defense says there was no motive – USA TODAY

Former Trump campaign advisor Roger Stone professed innocence and sought legal funds after being charged in the Russia probe with lying, witness tampering and obstruction in connection with the 2016 presidential election. (Jan. 31) AP

WASHINGTON As an impeachment inquiry that threatens Donald Trump's presidency gains steam in the U.S. Capitol, jurors in a trial happening just across the street will soon decide if Roger Stone, the president's ally, lied to Congress to help and protect him.

Jurors will start deliberating Thursday after hearing testimonies over the past week. A guilty verdict could send the longtime GOP operative to prison and will make him the latest Trump ally to be convicted of a crime as a result of the special counsel investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. An acquittal could reinforce Trump and his allies'longstanding claim that the Russia probewas a "witch hunt" meant to hurt him politically.

During closing arguments Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Kravis told jurors that Stone obstructed a congressional investigation to help Trump and his campaign. Stone liedto lawmakers repeatedly, depriving them of evidence they needed as they pursued their own investigation into Russia and possible ties to the Trump campaign, Kravis said in a packed federal courtroom.

"A person who is acting in good faith would not say and do the things that Roger Stone said and did ... It shows you exactly what was in his head all along: to obstruct the committees investigation," Kravis told jurors.

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Defense attorney Bruce Rogowsaid the government's assertion that Stone lied to protect the Trump campaign is "absolutely false."

"It makes no sense," Rogow told jurors, adding that the campaign was long over and Trump was already president when Stone testified before Congress in 2017. "Why would Stone lie, why would he make stuff up? ... There is no purpose, there is no reason, there is no motive."

Stonefaces seven charges: one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of false statements and one count of witness tampering.

The allegations stem from Stone's interactions with the Trump campaign in the summer of 2016, around the time that WikiLeaks, an anti-secrecy group, began publishing troves of damaging emails about the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton, Trump's presidential rival.

Prosecutors said Stone, a fixture in GOP politics known for his flamboyance and combativeness, lied to the House Intelligence Committee about his back-channel efforts to push for the release of those emails. They saidStone lied about the identity of the person who first tipped him off about WikiLeaks' plans. They said Stone denied that he passedon what he learned to the Trump campaign. And they said Stonedenied the existence of text messages and emails in which he talked about WikiLeaks.

"After he told these lies, Stone engaged in a relentless campaign to silence the person who could expose the lies," Kravis told jurors.

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The trial presented the first clear pictureof how the Trump campaign sought to learn about WikiLeaks' plans to publish emails that would hurt Clinton and help Trump. Testimonies from government witnesses portrayedthe campaign as an eager beneficiary of WikiLeaks' email dumps, and Stone as the conduit who boasted about his connections to the group.

Prosecutors presented jurors with dozens of emails and text messages many with crude language showing Stone communicating with senior members of the Trump campaign about WikiLeaks and threatening a possible congressional witness. They displayed charts showing the numbers of phone calls Stone had with the campaign, including with the candidate himself, around the time DNC emails were released.

Steve Bannon, the campaign's former chief executive, testified that the campaign saw Stone as its "access point" to WikiLeaks.

Rick Gates, another former campaign official, testified about a phone call between Stone and Trump in July 2016, shortly after WikiLeaks began publishing DNC emails. Gates said he was in the car with Trump when he heard him talking to Stone. After Trump hung up, he told Gates, "More information is coming." Trump told former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigators that he did not recall being told that Stone or anyone in his campaign discussed the release of hacked emails.

Randy Credico, a comedian and radio host Stone claimed was the person who told him about WikiLeaks' plans, testified that he was never the backchannel to the group. Prosecutors said Stone invoked Mafia references from "The Godfather"to urge Credico to either lie or not testify before Congress.

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Defense attorneys sought to discredit Credico,telling jurors that he "played" Stone and made him believe he hadback-channel capabilities with WikiLeaks. "Theres no question that Randy Credico mislead Roger Stone," Rogow told jurors.

Rogow said prosecutors are asking jurors to draw inferences from emails and text messages that lacked context and did not show anything "illegal" or"malignant." And while Stone and Trump talked on the phone multiple times in the summer of 2016, there's no evidence on what the two talked about.

"How can you draw an inference ... when you have no idea on what was said in these calls?" Rogow said.

Rogow also said the government's case relied on actions that are not criminal.

"There was nothing illegal about the campaign being interested in what WikiLeaks was going to be sending out This is what happens in campaigns. They look for opposition information," Rogow told jurors."In fact, so much of this case deals with that question that you need to ask, 'So what?'"

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Marando took offense in that assertion.

"Well if thats the state of affairs that were in, Im pretty shocked. Truth matters. Truth still matters," Marando told jurors. "We live in a world nowadays with Twitter, tweets, social media, where you can find any view, any political view you want. You can find your own truth."

Stone lied to obstruct an investigation and tampered with a witness, Marando repeated."That matters, and you don't look at that and say, 'So what?'"

Stone's trial attracted conservative figures, such as Milo Yiannopoulos, the controversial, far-right provocateur, and Michael Caputo, a former Trump campaign adviser.

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Prosecution says Roger Stone lied to Congress to protect Trump; defense says there was no motive - USA TODAY