Odds Say Roger Stone Won’t Testify Publicly Against Trump, Will Plead Guilty
By Robert Duff in Politics News
Updated: March 27, 2020 at 11:26 am EDTPublished:
- Donald Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone was arrested Friday
- Stone was indicted on seven charges, including obstruction of justice
- Sportsbooks are offering odds that Stone won’t testify against Trump
You can’t get blood from a stone, so the old saying goes. But you can get a stone to roll, especially when things are going downhill. And that’s certainly where the world of US President Donald Trump appears to be headed.
Roger Stone, a longtime political operative who worked for Trump during his campaign for President in 2016, was arrested Friday. Stone, 66, was picked up at his Florida home by the FBI and indicted on seven counts – one of obstruction, one of witness tampering and five of making false statements.
“FBI. Open the door.”
Watch exclusive CNN footage of the FBI arresting longtime Trump associate Roger Stone. Stone has been indicted by a grand jury on charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. https://t.co/5QHKDB2mfA pic.twitter.com/yDftp0fr65
— CNN (@CNN) January 25, 2019
Stone has long expected that at some point he’d be indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of Mueller’s ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US Presidential election, and that belief has now turned to fact.
He’s stated emphatically all along that he wouldn’t testify against Trump if arrested, that he would take the fall. And oddsmakers evidently believe that this is one stone that won’t roll. Sportsbooks favor Stone not cooperating with the investigation.
Odds Roger Stone Will Testify Publicly Against Donald Trump in 2019
| Will Roger Stone Testify Publicly Against Donald Trump in 2019? | Odds (01/25/19) |
|---|---|
| Yes | -200 |
| No | +150 |
Stone is alleged to have been the go-between for the Trump campaign as it sought to get emails that would prove damaging to Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton from Wikileaks.
As he exited a Fort Lauderdale courthouse, Stone uttered the phrase known to all who are charged with a crime, insisting of his complete innocence of all charges.
ICYMI: Roger Stone leaves a Fort Lauderdale federal court after a judge set his bail at $250,000 pic.twitter.com/8sQfpRhdvm
— Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) January 25, 2019
After insisting he was not guilty, he opted to go with the Richard Nixon two-handed victory sign as he exited up the courthouse stairs from his impromptu press conference. Historically speaking, that probably isn’t the best look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAd3_UXzAGI
The last guy to display that symbol in public was equally adamant that he was not a crook.
But you know something? He actually was. And Stone would know that, seeing as he worked in the Nixon administration. He even has a tattoo of Nixon.
We hear that lots of guys in prison have tattoos.
Odds Roger Stone Will Plead Guilty of a Crime in 2019
| Will Roger Stone Plead Guilty of a Crime in 2019? | Odds (01/25/19) |
|---|---|
| Yes | -130 |
| No | EVEN |
As he announced a temporary reopening of the U.S. government on Friday, Trump ducked all questions from reporters about the Stone arrest.
President Trump ignores questions about Roger Stone after announcing bill to fund government for three weeks https://t.co/PpBASDrAOk pic.twitter.com/FJpGE0kzJF
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 25, 2019
He did go to his favorite medium, Twitter, to once again rant about what he likes to call Mueller’s witch hunt.
Greatest Witch Hunt in the History of our Country! NO COLLUSION! Border Coyotes, Drug Dealers and Human Traffickers are treated better. Who alerted CNN to be there?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2019
So far, Mueller has indicted 37 people. That’s an awful lot of witches.
37 people now snared by Mueller: Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn among them. It is reasonable to ask the President what he knew and when. It isn't a witch hunt. It is fact gathering. @realDonaldTrump
— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) January 25, 2019
While Stone will hold out hope for a Presidential pardon, Trump will strive to distance himself from Stone, at the same not angering him to the point where he might turn on the President. It’s a fine line to walk. Good thing Trump has such a knack for nuance.
Odds Roger Stone Will Be Mentioned During the Upcoming State of the Union
| Will Roger Stone Be Mentioned During the Upcoming State of the Union? | Odds (01/25/19) |
|---|---|
| Yes | +500 |
| No | -900 |
Stone won’t be mentioned in Trump’s State of the Union address, but he will be found guilty of a crime before the year is out.
As for not testifying against Trump, don’t count on him staying the course. Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen talked tough at first, too.
Prison is a very scary place.
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
