Former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon will testify as a government witness against former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone, who’s facing charges of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction.
Bannon is one of the senior Trump campaign officials that Stone communicated with about the hacked Democratic emails that WikiLeaks released during the 2016 presidential election.
The jury will also hear from former Trump campaign official Rick Gates and radio personality Randy Credico, whom Stone once threatened, according to the opening statement from government prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky.
Trending News
Zelinsky began the trial by laying out the government’s accusations against Stone: that he lied about his contact with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, about Credico and about his written records and communications, particularly with the Trump campaign. Zelinsky also told the jurors that “Roger Stone straight up lied to the House Intelligence Committee … to hide what he had done because the truth looked bad.”
The jury has been selected. Eleven women and three men (including two alternate jurors) will hear the arguments, which are expected to last about three weeks. The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., and presided over by Judge Amy Berman Jackson.
Stone left the the trial early on Tuesday due to a bout of food poisoning.
The longtime GOP political operative was indicted in January on seven charges of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction. He is alleged to have collaborated with WikiLeaks to release the emails hacked by Russia to damage President Trump’s 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton. The hacked emails were released by “Organization 1,” described in the indictment as having a leader at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London — as in Julian Assange of WikiLeaks.
The indictment claims that Stone spoke to senior Trump campaign officials about information that could damage Clinton’s campaign. The indictment also alleges that Stone was contacted by senior Trump campaign officials to inquire about future releases that “Organization 1” might have.
Bannon will likely only be questioned about his time on the campaign and not about his time in the White House, which the defense wanted to bring up. Judge Jackson also warned the defense that if they discuss Russian election interference, “I will stop you.”
This is a developing story.
