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{{MetaDescription|Roger Stone, longtime Trump advisor and political operative, was convicted for lying to Congress and witness tampering and received commutation and pardon from Trump in 2020.}}
{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox Person
|name = Roger Jason Stone
|name = Roger Jason Stone
|birth_date = August 27, 1952
|birth_date = August 27, 1952
|birth_place = Norwalk, Connecticut
|birth_place = Norwalk, Connecticut
|charges = Obstruction, False statements, Witness tampering
|charges = Obstruction of an official proceeding (1 count), False statements (5 counts), Witness tampering (1 count)
|sentence = 40 months (commuted), $20,000 fine
|status = Pardoned
|conviction_date = November 15, 2019
|conviction_date = November 15, 2019
|release_date = December 23, 2020 (pardoned)
|sentence = 40 months federal prison, $20,000 fine (commuted; never served)
|sentencing_date = February 20, 2020
|judge = Hon. Amy Berman Jackson
|case_number = 1:19-cr-00018 (D.D.C.)
|status = Convicted; sentence commuted; later pardoned
|release_date = December 23, 2020 (full pardon)
|occupation = Political consultant, lobbyist, author
}}
}}


'''Roger Jason Stone''' (born August 27, 1952) is an American political consultant, lobbyist, and longtime advisor to Donald Trump. Known for his aggressive political tactics dating back to the Nixon administration and his famous tattoo of Richard Nixon's face on his back, Stone has been a prominent figure in Republican politics for five decades. On November 15, 2019, Stone was convicted on seven counts of obstruction, making false statements to Congress, and witness tampering in connection with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and fined $20,000. On July 10, 2020, days before Stone was due to report to prison, President Trump commuted his sentence. On December 23, 2020, Trump granted Stone a full [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons|pardon]].<ref name="npr">NPR, "Trump Pardons Roger Stone, Paul Manafort And Charles Kushner," December 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/12/23/949820820/trump-pardons-roger-stone-paul-manafort-and-charles-kushner</ref>
'''Roger Jason Stone''' (born August 27, 1952) is an American political consultant and lobbyist. He worked on Republican campaigns from Richard Nixon through Donald Trump and ran a Washington lobbying firm during the 1980s. On November 15, 2019, a federal jury in the District of Columbia found him guilty on seven counts tied to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The counts were one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements, and one count of witness tampering.<ref name="nbc-guilty">{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Pete |title=Roger Stone found guilty on all seven counts |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/roger-stone-found-guilty-all-seven-counts-n1082326 |date=2019-11-15 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
 
== Summary ==


Roger Stone is a legendary—and controversial—figure in American politics. Since his involvement in Richard Nixon's 1972 campaign at age 19, Stone has been at the center of Republican political operations for half a century. He co-founded one of Washington's most powerful lobbying firms with Paul Manafort and has advised candidates from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump.
The charges came from Stone's statements to the House Intelligence Committee in 2017. Prosecutors said he lied about his contacts regarding WikiLeaks during the campaign and then pressured a witness to back up that account. On February 20, 2020, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 40 months in prison and a $20,000 fine.<ref name="pbs-sentence">{{cite news |title=Trump ally Roger Stone sentenced to 40 months in prison |work=PBS NewsHour |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trump-ally-roger-stone-to-be-sentenced-in-case-that-has-roiled-doj |date=2020-02-20 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


Stone's relationship with Trump spans more than four decades, making him Trump's longest-serving political advisor. He first met Trump in 1979 through attorney Roy Cohn and later encouraged Trump to run for president as early as 1988.
Stone did not serve that sentence. On July 10, 2020, days before he was due to report to prison, President Trump commuted it. The commutation removed the prison term but left the conviction in place. On December 23, 2020, Trump granted Stone a full [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons|pardon]], which erased the conviction.<ref name="npr-pardon">{{cite news |last=Lucas |first=Ryan |title=Trump Pardons Roger Stone, Paul Manafort And Charles Kushner |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/12/23/949820820/trump-pardons-roger-stone-paul-manafort-and-charles-kushner |date=2020-12-23 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
 
Stone's aggressive, win-at-all-costs style finally caught up with him during the Mueller investigation. Prosecutors proved that Stone had served as an informal conduit between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks during the 2016 election, seeking information about stolen Democratic emails. When called before Congress, Stone lied about his contacts and then threatened a witness to prevent him from contradicting his testimony.
 
The sentencing became a flashpoint when the Justice Department intervened to reduce its recommended sentence after Trump criticized it on Twitter, leading four prosecutors to withdraw in protest. Stone never served prison time—Trump commuted his sentence just days before he was to report, and later granted a full pardon.


== Background ==
== Background ==


=== Early Life ===
Stone was born on August 27, 1952, in Norwalk, Connecticut. He grew up in the Vista area near the Connecticut and New York state line. He has described his family as middle-class Catholics of Hungarian and Italian descent.<ref name="npr-who">{{cite news |last=Lucas |first=Ryan |title=Who Is Roger Stone? |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/01/25/688839497/who-is-roger-stone |date=2019-01-25 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
 
Roger Jason Stone was born on August 27, 1952, in Norwalk, Connecticut. He grew up in the community of Vista, part of the town of Lewisboro, New York, on the Connecticut border. He has described his family as middle-class, blue-collar Catholics, with Hungarian and Italian ancestry.<ref name="npr-who">NPR, "Who Is Roger Stone?" January 2019, https://www.npr.org/2019/01/25/688839497/who-is-roger-stone</ref>
 
=== Early Political Involvement ===
 
Stone has said that he developed an interest in political mischief at an early age. He claimed that during the 1960 presidential election, as an elementary school student, he told other children in the cafeteria line that Richard Nixon favored school on Saturdays—his "first political trick."
 
=== Nixon Campaign ===
 
Stone's formal political career began with the Nixon administration. As a student at George Washington University in 1972, Stone invited Jeb Stuart Magruder to speak at a Young Republicans Club meeting, then asked Magruder for a job with Richard Nixon's Committee to Re-elect the President (known as CREEP).
 
Stone left college to work for the committee. He contributed money to a potential Nixon rival in the name of the Young Socialist Alliance, designed to embarrass the rival. He also helped hire operatives to infiltrate the campaigns of Democratic candidates such as Edmund Muskie and Hubert Humphrey during the 1972 primaries.
 
Stone was just 19 when he became involved in what would become the Watergate scandal, though his role was minor compared to the central figures.
 
=== The Nixon Tattoo ===
 
In 2007, Stone had Richard Nixon's face tattooed on his back. He explained the tattoo as "a reminder that in life when you get knocked down, you have to get up and keep fighting." He has said: "The reason I'm a Nixonite is because of his indestructibility and resilience."<ref name="time">TIME, "How Roger Stone Connects Richard Nixon to Donald Trump," January 2019, https://time.com/5513051/roger-stone-richard-nixon-donald-trump/</ref>
 
== Political Career ==
 
=== Campaigns ===
 
Stone worked on numerous Republican presidential campaigns over the decades:
* Richard Nixon (1972)
* Ronald Reagan (1976, 1980)
* Jack Kemp
* Bob Dole (1996)
* George W. Bush (2000)
* Donald Trump (2016)
 
=== Lobbying Firm ===
 
In the 1980s, Stone co-founded a lobbying firm with Paul Manafort and Charles R. Black Jr. The firm, which became Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly (BMSK), was a powerhouse in Washington during the Reagan era. The firm represented numerous foreign governments and corporate clients.
 
=== Relationship with Donald Trump ===
 
Stone first met Donald Trump in 1979 through attorney Roy M. Cohn. The two forged an enduring political relationship. Stone encouraged Trump to run for president as early as 1988 and has been described as Trump's longest-serving political advisor.
 
Stone formally advised Trump's 2016 campaign before officially departing in August 2015, though the nature and extent of his continued involvement became a subject of the Mueller investigation.
 
=== Documentary ===
 
The 2017 Netflix documentary "Get Me Roger Stone" chronicled Stone's life, career, and political philosophy.
 
== Mueller Investigation ==
 
=== Background ===
 
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation examined Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and potential coordination with the Trump campaign. One focus was the release by WikiLeaks of emails stolen by Russian hackers from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.
 
=== Stone's Role ===


According to trial testimony and evidence, Stone became the Trump campaign's informal point person on WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign. He sought information about what WikiLeaks had and when it would be released.<ref name="doj">Department of Justice, "Roger Stone Found Guilty of Obstruction, False Statements, and Witness Tampering," November 2019, https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/roger-stone-found-guilty-obstruction-false-statements-and-witness-tampering</ref>
He entered politics young. While a student at George Washington University in 1972, he took a job with the Committee to Re-Elect the President during Nixon's campaign. He left school to work on the effort. That early period drew him into the edges of the Watergate matter, though he was not a central figure in it.<ref name="npr-who" />


At Stone's trial, former Trump deputy campaign manager Rick Gates testified that he was with Trump when Trump received a phone call from Stone about the planned release of hacked Democratic emails. Gates testified that after the call, Trump said "more information would be coming."
Over the following decades Stone advised a series of Republican presidential campaigns, among them Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole, and George W. Bush. In the 1980s he co-founded a lobbying firm with Paul Manafort and Charles R. Black Jr. The firm represented domestic corporate clients and foreign governments and held significant influence in Washington during the Reagan years.<ref name="npr-who" />


=== Congressional Testimony ===
Stone met Donald Trump in 1979 through the attorney Roy M. Cohn. He stayed in Trump's orbit for decades and is often described as Trump's longest-serving political adviser. He formally left a role with Trump's 2016 campaign in August 2015. The extent of his contact with the campaign after that point later became a subject of the Mueller investigation.<ref name="npr-who" />


On September 26, 2017, Stone testified before the House Intelligence Committee about his contacts during the 2016 campaign. He made numerous false statements, including lies about the identity of his "back-channel" to WikiLeaks.
Mueller's investigation examined Russian interference in the 2016 election. Part of that inquiry concerned WikiLeaks, which released emails that Russian hackers had stolen from the Democratic National Committee and from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. Stone became a point of interest because of his public claims of contact with the organization.<ref name="doj-guilty">{{cite web |title=Roger Stone Found Guilty of Obstruction, False Statements, and Witness Tampering |publisher=U.S. Department of Justice |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/roger-stone-found-guilty-obstruction-false-statements-and-witness-tampering |date=2019-11-15 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


In an October 2017 letter, Stone falsely told the Committee that his intermediary was radio host Randy Credico.
== Charges and Trial ==


=== Witness Tampering ===
FBI agents arrested Stone at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 25, 2019. A grand jury had returned a seven-count indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The counts were one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements, and one count of witness tampering.<ref name="doj-guilty" />


Stone then attempted to prevent Credico from contradicting his testimony. Stone urged Credico to either:
The case centered on Stone's September 2017 testimony to the House Intelligence Committee. Prosecutors said he gave false answers about his communications concerning WikiLeaks. They said he identified the wrong person as his intermediary to the organization. They said he denied having relevant emails and text messages that he in fact possessed.<ref name="doj-guilty" />
* Corroborate Stone's false account
* Tell the Committee he could not remember the relevant events
* Invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination


Stone's messages to Credico included threats. He referred to Credico as a "rat" and a "stoolie" and told him to "prepare to die."
The witness tampering count involved the radio host Randy Credico. Prosecutors said Stone urged Credico to give testimony that matched Stone's account or to avoid testifying at all. Some of Stone's messages to Credico included threats, which the government entered into evidence at trial.<ref name="factually">{{cite web |title=What crimes was Roger Stone convicted of and what were the sentences |publisher=Factually |url=https://factually.co/fact-checks/justice/roger-stone-convictions-charges-list-42d99c |date=2020-02-20 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


== Indictment and Trial ==
The trial began in November 2019 before Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Former Trump deputy campaign manager Rick Gates testified about a 2016 phone call between Trump and Stone that touched on WikiLeaks releases. After about a week of testimony and two days of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all seven counts on November 15, 2019.<ref name="nbc-guilty" />


=== Arrest ===
== Sentencing ==


On January 25, 2019, FBI agents arrested Stone at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in an early-morning raid. He was charged with seven counts:
The sentencing process drew national attention. On February 10, 2020, Justice Department prosecutors filed a memorandum recommending a term of roughly seven to nine years, based on federal guidelines. President Trump criticized that recommendation in a public post. The next day, the department filed a revised memorandum that withdrew the specific recommendation and left the term to the judge.<ref name="pbs-sentence" />
* One count of obstruction of an official proceeding
* Five counts of making false statements
* One count of witness tampering<ref name="abc">ABC News, "Roger Stone found guilty on all 7 counts," November 2019, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/roger-stone-found-guilty-counts/story?id=67015102</ref>


=== Trial ===
The reversal prompted the four prosecutors who had tried the case to withdraw from it. One of them resigned from the Justice Department. The episode generated debate over the independence of the department in the matter.<ref name="pbs-sentence" />


Stone's trial began in November 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Judge Amy Berman Jackson.
On February 20, 2020, Judge Jackson sentenced Stone to 40 months in prison and a $20,000 fine. She said at the hearing that the guideline range the prosecutors first cited was higher than the case warranted, but that the conduct still called for a prison term. She framed the case around Stone's cover-up rather than his politics.<ref name="cbs-sentencing">{{cite news |title=Amy Berman Jackson, judge in Roger Stone case, says sentencing will move forward as planned |work=CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roger-stone-amy-berman-jackson-sentencing-thursday-planned/ |date=2020-02-20 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref> The court allowed Stone to remain free while post-trial motions were resolved. His report date was later set for July 2020.<ref name="pbs-sentence" />


=== Conviction ===
== Commutation and Pardon ==


On November 15, 2019, after a week-long trial and two days of deliberations, the jury found Stone guilty on all seven counts. He was the sixth Trump aide or advisor to be convicted in connection with the Mueller investigation.
On July 10, 2020, President Trump commuted Stone's sentence. The action came days before Stone's scheduled report date. A commutation reduces or eliminates a sentence. It does not remove the underlying conviction, so Stone remained a convicted person after July 10.<ref name="cnn-commute">{{cite news |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |title=Trump commutes Roger Stone's sentence |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/10/politics/trump-stone-prison-clemency/index.html |date=2020-07-10 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


== Sentencing Controversy ==
Judge Jackson later sought a copy of the commutation order to clarify its terms and its effect on Stone's supervised release.<ref name="lawcrime-order">{{cite web |title=Federal Judge Wants Copy of Roger Stone Commutation Order |publisher=Law & Crime |url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/judge-amy-berman-jackson-demands-clarification-and-review-of-roger-stone-commutation/ |date=2020-07-14 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


=== Initial Recommendation ===
On December 23, 2020, Trump granted Stone a full pardon. The pardon went further than the commutation. It erased the conviction itself. With that action the prison term, the supervised release, and the $20,000 fine were all voided.<ref name="npr-pardon" /> Stone never spent time in federal custody on the case.<ref name="cnn-commute" />
 
On February 10, 2020, Justice Department prosecutors filed a sentencing memorandum recommending a sentence of 87 to 108 months (roughly 7 to 9 years) in prison.
 
=== Trump's Intervention ===
 
Shortly after the recommendation became public, President Trump criticized it on Twitter, calling it a "miscarriage of justice."
 
=== Revised Recommendation ===
 
The following day, the Justice Department filed a revised sentencing memorandum that did not recommend a specific sentence, leaving the decision to the judge. This extraordinary reversal prompted four prosecutors to withdraw from the case, with one resigning from the Justice Department entirely.<ref name="pbs">PBS NewsHour, "Trump ally Roger Stone sentenced to 40 months in prison," February 2020, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trump-ally-roger-stone-to-be-sentenced-in-case-that-has-roiled-doj</ref>
 
The intervention was widely criticized as political interference in the justice system.
 
=== Sentence ===
 
On February 20, 2020, Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Stone to:
* 40 months in federal prison
* A $20,000 fine
 
Judge Jackson said at sentencing: "He was not prosecuted, as some have complained, for standing up for the President. He was prosecuted for covering up for the President."
 
Stone was allowed to remain free pending resolution of post-trial motions.
 
== Clemency ==
 
=== Commutation ===
 
On July 10, 2020—just four days before Stone was scheduled to report to prison—President Trump commuted his sentence.<ref name="cnn">CNN, "Trump commutes Roger Stone's sentence," July 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/10/politics/trump-stone-prison-clemency/index.html</ref>
 
The White House statement said: "Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency."
 
The commutation erased Stone's prison sentence but left his conviction intact.
 
=== Reactions ===
 
Senator Mitt Romney called the commutation "[u]nprecedented, historic corruption." Democrats accused Trump of using his pardon power to reward loyalty and obstruct justice.
 
=== Full Pardon ===
 
On December 23, 2020, President Trump granted Stone a full pardon, erasing the conviction entirely.<ref name="npr" />
 
Stone later met with Trump in person to thank him for the pardon.


== Frequently Asked Questions ==
== Frequently Asked Questions ==
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{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = What did Roger Stone do?
|question = What was Roger Stone convicted of?
|answer = Stone was convicted on seven counts: obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements to Congress, and witness tampering. The charges related to his role as an intermediary between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks during the 2016 election, his lies to Congress about those activities, and his threats to a witness.<ref name="doj" />
|answer = A federal jury convicted Stone on November 15, 2019, on seven counts: one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements, and one count of witness tampering. The counts arose from his 2017 testimony to the House Intelligence Committee about his contacts concerning WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign.<ref name="doj-guilty" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = Was Roger Stone pardoned?
|question = Did Roger Stone go to prison?
|answer = Yes, Stone received clemency twice from President Trump. On July 10, 2020, days before Stone was due to begin his 40-month prison sentence, Trump commuted his sentence. On December 23, 2020, Trump granted a full [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons|pardon]]. The White House called Stone a "victim of the Russia Hoax."<ref name="npr" />
|answer = No. Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 40 months on February 20, 2020, but he never served the term. President Trump commuted the sentence on July 10, 2020, days before Stone was due to report. Stone never entered federal custody on the case.<ref name="cnn-commute" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = What was Roger Stone's sentence?
|question = What was Roger Stone's sentence?
|answer = Stone was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and a $20,000 fine on February 20, 2020. The sentencing became controversial when the Justice Department reduced its recommendation after Trump criticized it on Twitter, leading four prosecutors to withdraw from the case. Stone never served prison time due to Trump's commutation.<ref name="pbs" />
|answer = On February 20, 2020, Stone was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and a $20,000 fine. The Justice Department had first recommended roughly seven to nine years, then withdrew that recommendation, which led the four trial prosecutors to leave the case.<ref name="pbs-sentence" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = Who is Roger Stone?
|question = Was Roger Stone pardoned?
|answer = Stone is a Republican political consultant and lobbyist who has worked on campaigns from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump. Known for his aggressive tactics, he has a tattoo of Nixon's face on his back. He co-founded a lobbying firm with Paul Manafort and has been Trump's longest-serving political advisor since they met in 1979.<ref name="time" />
|answer = Yes. He received clemency twice. President Trump commuted his sentence on July 10, 2020, which removed the prison term but left the conviction. On December 23, 2020, Trump granted a full [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons|pardon]], which erased the conviction along with the fine and supervised release.<ref name="npr-pardon" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = What was Roger Stone's connection to WikiLeaks?
|question = What is the difference between Stone's commutation and his pardon?
|answer = Prosecutors established that Stone served as an informal point person between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks regarding hacked Democratic emails. Testimony showed Stone spoke with Trump about upcoming WikiLeaks releases. Stone lied to Congress about these contacts and threatened a witness who could have exposed his lies.<ref name="abc" />
|answer = The commutation in July 2020 ended the prison sentence but kept the conviction in place. The pardon in December 2020 erased the conviction itself. After the pardon, the sentence, the fine, and the supervised release were all voided.<ref name="npr-pardon" />
}}
}}


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<references />
<references />


{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Roger}}
[[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders]]
[[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders]]
[[Category:Obstruction of Justice]]
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Latest revision as of 13:41, 3 June 2026

Roger Jason Stone
Born: August 27, 1952
Norwalk, Connecticut
Charges: Obstruction of an official proceeding (1 count), False statements (5 counts), Witness tampering (1 count)
Sentence: 40 months federal prison, $20,000 fine (commuted; never served)
Facility:
Status: Convicted; sentence commuted; later pardoned


Roger Jason Stone (born August 27, 1952) is an American political consultant and lobbyist. He worked on Republican campaigns from Richard Nixon through Donald Trump and ran a Washington lobbying firm during the 1980s. On November 15, 2019, a federal jury in the District of Columbia found him guilty on seven counts tied to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The counts were one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements, and one count of witness tampering.[1]

The charges came from Stone's statements to the House Intelligence Committee in 2017. Prosecutors said he lied about his contacts regarding WikiLeaks during the campaign and then pressured a witness to back up that account. On February 20, 2020, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 40 months in prison and a $20,000 fine.[2]

Stone did not serve that sentence. On July 10, 2020, days before he was due to report to prison, President Trump commuted it. The commutation removed the prison term but left the conviction in place. On December 23, 2020, Trump granted Stone a full pardon, which erased the conviction.[3]

Background

Stone was born on August 27, 1952, in Norwalk, Connecticut. He grew up in the Vista area near the Connecticut and New York state line. He has described his family as middle-class Catholics of Hungarian and Italian descent.[4]

He entered politics young. While a student at George Washington University in 1972, he took a job with the Committee to Re-Elect the President during Nixon's campaign. He left school to work on the effort. That early period drew him into the edges of the Watergate matter, though he was not a central figure in it.[4]

Over the following decades Stone advised a series of Republican presidential campaigns, among them Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole, and George W. Bush. In the 1980s he co-founded a lobbying firm with Paul Manafort and Charles R. Black Jr. The firm represented domestic corporate clients and foreign governments and held significant influence in Washington during the Reagan years.[4]

Stone met Donald Trump in 1979 through the attorney Roy M. Cohn. He stayed in Trump's orbit for decades and is often described as Trump's longest-serving political adviser. He formally left a role with Trump's 2016 campaign in August 2015. The extent of his contact with the campaign after that point later became a subject of the Mueller investigation.[4]

Mueller's investigation examined Russian interference in the 2016 election. Part of that inquiry concerned WikiLeaks, which released emails that Russian hackers had stolen from the Democratic National Committee and from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. Stone became a point of interest because of his public claims of contact with the organization.[5]

Charges and Trial

FBI agents arrested Stone at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 25, 2019. A grand jury had returned a seven-count indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The counts were one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements, and one count of witness tampering.[5]

The case centered on Stone's September 2017 testimony to the House Intelligence Committee. Prosecutors said he gave false answers about his communications concerning WikiLeaks. They said he identified the wrong person as his intermediary to the organization. They said he denied having relevant emails and text messages that he in fact possessed.[5]

The witness tampering count involved the radio host Randy Credico. Prosecutors said Stone urged Credico to give testimony that matched Stone's account or to avoid testifying at all. Some of Stone's messages to Credico included threats, which the government entered into evidence at trial.[6]

The trial began in November 2019 before Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Former Trump deputy campaign manager Rick Gates testified about a 2016 phone call between Trump and Stone that touched on WikiLeaks releases. After about a week of testimony and two days of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all seven counts on November 15, 2019.[1]

Sentencing

The sentencing process drew national attention. On February 10, 2020, Justice Department prosecutors filed a memorandum recommending a term of roughly seven to nine years, based on federal guidelines. President Trump criticized that recommendation in a public post. The next day, the department filed a revised memorandum that withdrew the specific recommendation and left the term to the judge.[2]

The reversal prompted the four prosecutors who had tried the case to withdraw from it. One of them resigned from the Justice Department. The episode generated debate over the independence of the department in the matter.[2]

On February 20, 2020, Judge Jackson sentenced Stone to 40 months in prison and a $20,000 fine. She said at the hearing that the guideline range the prosecutors first cited was higher than the case warranted, but that the conduct still called for a prison term. She framed the case around Stone's cover-up rather than his politics.[7] The court allowed Stone to remain free while post-trial motions were resolved. His report date was later set for July 2020.[2]

Commutation and Pardon

On July 10, 2020, President Trump commuted Stone's sentence. The action came days before Stone's scheduled report date. A commutation reduces or eliminates a sentence. It does not remove the underlying conviction, so Stone remained a convicted person after July 10.[8]

Judge Jackson later sought a copy of the commutation order to clarify its terms and its effect on Stone's supervised release.[9]

On December 23, 2020, Trump granted Stone a full pardon. The pardon went further than the commutation. It erased the conviction itself. With that action the prison term, the supervised release, and the $20,000 fine were all voided.[3] Stone never spent time in federal custody on the case.[8]

Frequently Asked Questions


Q: What was Roger Stone convicted of?

A federal jury convicted Stone on November 15, 2019, on seven counts: one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements, and one count of witness tampering. The counts arose from his 2017 testimony to the House Intelligence Committee about his contacts concerning WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign.[5]



Q: Did Roger Stone go to prison?

No. Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 40 months on February 20, 2020, but he never served the term. President Trump commuted the sentence on July 10, 2020, days before Stone was due to report. Stone never entered federal custody on the case.[8]



Q: What was Roger Stone's sentence?

On February 20, 2020, Stone was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and a $20,000 fine. The Justice Department had first recommended roughly seven to nine years, then withdrew that recommendation, which led the four trial prosecutors to leave the case.[2]



Q: Was Roger Stone pardoned?

Yes. He received clemency twice. President Trump commuted his sentence on July 10, 2020, which removed the prison term but left the conviction. On December 23, 2020, Trump granted a full pardon, which erased the conviction along with the fine and supervised release.[3]



Q: What is the difference between Stone's commutation and his pardon?

The commutation in July 2020 ended the prison sentence but kept the conviction in place. The pardon in December 2020 erased the conviction itself. After the pardon, the sentence, the fine, and the supervised release were all voided.[3]


See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Roger Stone found guilty on all seven counts".Williams, Pete.NBC News.2019-11-15.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Trump ally Roger Stone sentenced to 40 months in prison".PBS NewsHour.2020-02-20.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Trump Pardons Roger Stone, Paul Manafort And Charles Kushner".Lucas, Ryan.NPR.2020-12-23.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Who Is Roger Stone?".Lucas, Ryan.NPR.2019-01-25.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Roger Stone Found Guilty of Obstruction, False Statements, and Witness Tampering". U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  6. ↑ "What crimes was Roger Stone convicted of and what were the sentences". Factually. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  7. ↑ "Amy Berman Jackson, judge in Roger Stone case, says sentencing will move forward as planned".CBS News.2020-02-20.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Trump commutes Roger Stone's sentence".Polantz, Katelyn.CNN.2020-07-10.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  9. ↑ "Federal Judge Wants Copy of Roger Stone Commutation Order". Law & Crime. Retrieved 2026-06-03.


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