Amidst a flurry of political intrigue, Roger Stone, the notorious political strategist and provocateur who was previously granted a pardon by former President Donald Trump for multiple felony convictions, was spotted accompanying his longtime ally on a recent campaign trip. Sources familiar with their travel revealed that Stone joined Trump during a campaign stop in Iowa and even boarded the former president’s personal aircraft for a flight to Las Vegas. That said, Roger Stone joined Donald Trump at UFC 290 as well.Â
The purpose of Trump’s visit to Council Bluffs, Iowa, was to launch his Farmers for Trump coalition, with Stone in attendance. However, Stone did not take the stage during the event. Following the Iowa stop, the former president proceeded to meet grassroots activists in Las Vegas the following day.
Requests for comment from Stone regarding his presence alongside Trump were left unanswered as of the time of reporting by NBC News.
Although Stone has not held a formal advisory role since the early stages of Trump’s initial presidential campaign in 2015, his actions leading up to the infamous attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, drew significant attention from the House Select Committee during its subsequent investigation. The committee focused on Stone’s connections to leaders of extremist groups, including an individual associated with the Oath Keepers who received a 12-year prison sentence in May on charges of seditious conspiracy.
Furthermore, Stone’s statements and conversations with Trump became subject to scrutiny. At the end of December 2020, Stone engaged in a conversation with the former president where he was recorded making incendiary remarks captured by a documentary crew, expressing a disregard for the democratic process and promoting violence. Cassidy Hutchinson, who was an aide to then-chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified to Congress that Trump instructed Meadows to call Stone the day before the Capitol attack.
Stone’s entanglement with Trump extends beyond the events of January 6, 2021. He played a prominent role in the investigations into Russia’s attempts to influence the 2016 election as well. The bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee’s findings highlighted Stone’s efforts to acquire inside information for the Trump campaign regarding WikiLeaks’ release of hacked material aimed at damaging Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid.
