Mueller Has Stone Attacking Credico

News  |  Nov 5, 2018

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has emails and text messages between Roger Stone and Randy Credico, showing the former attacking, and sometimes threatening, the latter. Stone has called Credico his backchannel to WikiLeaks, something Credico denies. 

CNN

Investigators have been examining the text messages and emails and questioning witnesses about whether there was an attempt to harass or intimidate Credico ... 

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CNN has obtained copies of some of the messages. In one exchange, Stone responds to the news that Credico received a subpoena from Mueller.

"Waste of your time -- tell him to go f--- himself," Stone wrote.

"Who?" Credico asked.

"Mueller," Stone said.

Other messages in April show Stone accusing Credico of cooperating with Mueller. 

"Everyone says u are wearing a wire for Mueller," Stone wrote in one message. Another said: "vital people know you are wearing a wire and narching for Mueller to f--- [Julian] Assange." 

The messages raise the possibility that Mueller could pursue obstruction or witness tampering charges against Stone ... 

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Stone said his comments about wearing a wire were a joke and added he didn't believe Credico had actually been subpoenaed.

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The trove of messages between Stone and Credico demonstrates their fraught relationship. Both men hurl insults at one another via text message and email. Stone regularly slams Credico -- who has a history of drug and alcohol abuse -- as an alcoholic. 

"Choke in your own vomit," Stone said in exchange. Credico hit back, accusing Stone of being a drug addict and a liar. 

Asked about the drug accusations, Stone told CNN his efforts to legalize marijuana are hardly a secret, but "I actually prefer a cocktail."

"Our texts are the late night bickering of two grumpy political veterans, who have known each other for years. They are friendly as well as nasty, ribald, vicious, inconsistent humorous and vile," Stone told CNN.

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In one caustic exchange between the two men, Stone calls Credico a "rat" and threatens to take away his dog, a fluffy white Coton de Tulear named Bianca. Bianca accompanied Credico to his grand jury appearance in September, with the permission of the special counsel's office. 

"You backstab your friends-run your mouth my lawyers are dying Rip you to shreds," Stone wrote. "I'm going to take that dog away from you. Not a f------ thing you can do about it either because you are a weak broke piece of s---."

Credico replied, "You don't have a constitutional right to threaten me and especially not threaten my dog ...you crossed a red line."

"Rot in hell," Stone wrote back.

As The Atlantic's Natasha Bertrand notes, Stone's questionable behavior with Credico is just a fraction of his potential legal trouble. 

Since his September 2017 hearing before the [House Intelligence Committee] panel, he’s amended his testimony three times as new reports have emerged about his contacts with Russian nationals, the extent of his interactions with WikiLeaks, and his conversations with Trump-campaign officials. Despite those changes, the question of whether he perjured himself before the committee still stands—and is reportedly being examined by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

“Roger Stone had a chance, under oath, to tell the House Intel Committee about his contacts with Russians and WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign,” Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell of California, who sits on the panel, told me. “He misled us and has repeatedly—three times now—amended his testimony to fit new press reporting.” Swalwell noted that the committee’s Democrats voted to send transcripts related to its Russia investigation to Mueller, but Republicans resisted. “The special counsel should see Stone’s transcripts and the accounts of all witnesses,” he added.

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It isn’t clear whether the panel’s Democrats plan to bring Stone back in for further questioning if they retake the House majority and assume subpoena power. But, like Swalwell, a Democratic aide on the committee emphasized the importance of getting Stone’s full transcript to Mueller to determine whether he committed perjury. “We’ve repeatedly urged the majority to provide the special counsel with access to Roger Stone’s transcript, among others, both for the evidence they offer and to determine whether witnesses have committed perjury,” said the aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Messages show Roger Stone attacking the man he says was his WikiLeaks backchannel (CNN)

Roger Stone’s Shifting Story Is a Liability (The Atlantic)