Roger Stone, a longtime Trump adviser, admitted to communicating privately last summer with Guccifer 2.0, which the U.S. intelligence community says is an online persona of Russian hackers. He’s reported to be one of the numerous Trump advisers under investigation as part of a probe into Russian election meddling on Trump’s behalf.
Stone publicly celebrated Trump’s stunning decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.
What Comey did to Hillary was disgraceful. I'm glad Trump fired him over it.@StoneColdTruth
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) May 10, 2017
The former Nixon “dirty trickster” even invoked the name of President Nixon, who resigned from office amid an obstruction of justice scandal.
Somewhere Dick Nixon is smiling.#comeyfired
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) May 10, 2017
Moreover, according to Politico and CNN, Stone lobbied Trump to make the move.
One of Trump’s key defenses was knocked down during a Senate hearing on Monday, and CNN reported just after Comey’s firing that federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas as part of their probe.
“Several Stone allies and friends said Stone, who has been frequently mentioned in the investigation, encouraged the president to fire Comey in conversations in recent weeks,” Politico reports. “Stone declined to comment Tuesday night but said he was enjoying a fine cigar.”
Trump denied that Stone influenced his decision. Stone chimed in again as well:
Twitter is amazing this morning pic.twitter.com/FcjcndJWMR
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) May 10, 2017
Politico described the mood last night at Stone’s house in Florida as “elated.”
Another former Trump adviser under investigation as part of the Russia probe, former Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page, also applauded the move.
Ex-Trump adviser Carter Page, among those under investigation by the FBI in Russia probe, hails Trump's firing of Comey pic.twitter.com/dz2GQhnJ8x
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) May 10, 2017
While Stone was jubilant, Politico reports that “shock dominated much of the FBI and the White House.”
Politico’s report also links Trump’s decision to fire Comey to the Russia investigation, noting that the president “had grown enraged by the Russia investigation, two advisers said, frustrated by his inability to control the mushrooming narrative around Russia. He repeatedly asked aides why the Russia investigation wouldn’t disappear and demanded they speak out for him. He would sometimes scream at television clips about the probe, one adviser said.”