'The payload is still coming:' Top takeaways from the Roger Stone indictment

The charges revealed Friday against former Roger Stone lay out a series of false statements and witness tampering by the longtime adviser to President Donald Trump. And they offer new clues about the extent to which Trump's campaign sought to learn about emails the U.S. government has said were stolen by Kremlin operatives trying to help him win the presidency.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's office charged Stone in a seven-count indictment with witness tampering a making false statements to Congress. 

But the most consequential part of the charges might be the new light on the extent to which prosecutors think top figures in Trump's campaign were seeking to stay in the loop about the shadowy world of WikiLeaks and stolen emails. And they show the depth of some of the evidence Mueller's office has gathered about those episodes, including text messages and emails where Stone and others discuss contacts with WikiLeaks. 

The so-called "speaking indictment," which aims to tell a background story as much as unveil lawyerly criminal charges, begins to pull together various threads of special counsel Robert Mueller's wide probe into Russian interference in the 2016 president election and any possible "collusion" by the Trump campaign.

The indictment bolsters its case against Stone, a Republican operative dating to the Richard Nixon era, with an array of text messages, emails and conversations that offers a glimpse into the material Mueller is amassing in his multi-pronged investigation. Among other things, prosecutors said those exchanges showed that in the summer of 2016, Stone "informed senior Trump Campaign officials" that he had information indicating that WikiLeaks possessed some of the damaging documents.

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Here are the top takeaways from the full indictment:

Connecting the dots: From WikiLeaks to Trump campaign 

After WikiLeaks dumped the first batch on July 22, 2016, the indictment alleges, "a senior Trump Campaign official" was directed to contact Stone about any additional releases and what other damaging information the organization had regarding the Clinton campaign.

It does not identify the senior campaign official nor elaborate on how that person was directed to reach Stone, But it does add: "Stone thereafter told the Trump Campaign about potential future release of damaging material."

It was Stone's alleged effort to deny his involvement, and to pressure a witness in a Congressional investigation, that form the core of the criminal charges against him.

The indictment details Stone's alleged efforts to find out the timing and content of the stolen emails and refers to Assange by description as the individual holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London during the height of the furious exchanges.

At one point, Stone purportedly gets an email from a person described as a "high-ranking Trump Campaign official" asking about the status of future releases. Stone replies that he expects WikiLeaks to release "a load every week going forward."

At another point, in a text with a London-based supporter involved with the Trump campaign, Stone asks if the person wants to switch to a "secure line" such as Whatsapp. Prosecutors say Stone told the friend he "spoke to my friend in London last night," a reference to WikiLeaks' chief Julian Assange. "The payload is still coming."  

While the indictment does not mention WikiLeaks by name, referring to the group instead as "Organization 1," the indictment makes clear that the outfit is at the heart of the case.

After the first release of emails in October 2016, an associate of the high-ranking Trump official sent a text to Stone that read: "Well done." 

How Stone allegedly obstructed probe 

The charges involve Stone's alleged response to the opening of investigations by Congress and the FBI into Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election, including looking into Stone's claims of contact with WikiLeaks.

"In response, Stone took steps to obstruct these investigations," the indictment charges. 

The indictment accuses Stone of making "multiple false statements" to Congress and an attempt to persuade a witness to provide false testimony and withhold "pertinent information" from the investigation.

It alleges that Stone periodically directed other individuals to get in touch with WikiLeaks, and Assange, who took refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy following efforts by Swedish prosecutor to investigate rape allegations against him.

In July 2016, according to the indictment, Stone emailed "Person 1," who is described as a political commentator who worked with an online media publication, to go to the Ecuadoran embassy "and get the pending" WikiLeaks" emails ... they deal with (the Clinton) Foundation, allegedly." 

At one point, Stone, referring to WikiLeaks and Assange, received an email saying, in part, that, "Word is friend in embassy plans 2 more dumps." The email continues, "Time to let more than (the Clinton Campaign Chairman) to be exposed as in bed with the enemy if they are not ready to drop HRC," referring to Democratic presidential nominee Clinton.

"Would not hurt to start suggesting HRC old, memory bad, has stroke – neither he nor she well" Person 1 added. "I expect that much of next dump focus, setting stage for Foundation debacle"

Similar interaction and emails between Stone and others were particularly active beginning in August, the indictment says.

It alleges that there was a flurry of emails surrounding WikiLeaks and an unnamed individual purportedly in touch with Assange and the organization.

At one point, according to the indictment "Person 2" emails Stone to report that WikiLeaks was canceling a "highly anticipated" announcement because of "security concerns," prompting Stone to text back to ask if WikiLeaks "back(ed) off."

While the indictment does not name Stone's intermediaries, Person 2, described as a "radio host who had known Stone for more than a decade," appears to refer to Randy Credico. 

In early October, Stone, according to the indictment, wrote to a supporter involved with the Trump campaign, saying, "Spoke to my friend in London last night. The payload is still coming."

Stone accused of multiple false statements  

The events at the core of the charges against Stone unfolded in 2017 after Donald Trump took office and the congressional and FBI investigation ramped up.

The indictment charges that Stone, in testimony before the House intelligence committee "made deliberately false and misleading statements" including his possession of documents pertinent to the committee's probe, the source for his statements in August 2016 about WikiLeaks, his communications with an intermediary to WikiLeaks and his communications with the Trump organization regarding WikiLeaks.

Among them, the indictment says Stone falsely told the committee that he did not have any emails, texts or documents concerning the allegations of hacked documents from the Clinton campaign.

It further charges that he falsely denied having any text or email contacts with an intermediary to WikiLeaks.

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In addition, the indictment charges he lied to the committee in saying that he did not have any conversations with the Trump campaign regarding his conversations with the WikiLeaks intermediary.

The indictment charged that Stone had  spoken to "multiple individuals involved in the Trump Campaign" about what he claimed to have learned from the intermediary.

Regarding charges that Stone tried to influence others, the indictment alleges that he engaged in a "prolonged effort" to prevent one unnamed individual from contradicting his purportedly false statements to the committee.

In December, Stone texted one of the intermediaries to say that he should amend his testimony to the committee before Stone's appearance.

Stone urges radio host to stay silent  

According to the document, Stone told Credico in December 2017, that he should do a "Frank Pentangeli" before the committee to avoid contradicting Stone's testimony.

Pentangeli is a character in the film "The Godfather: Part II" who testifies before a congressional committee and claims not to know critical information that he does in fact know.

Around the same time, Stone texts Credico, saying "If you turn over anything to the FBI you're a fool."

Later that day, Credico responds, "You need to amend your testimony before I testify on the 15th."

Stone's reply: "If you testify you're a fool," Stone wrote. "Because of tromp (sic) I could never get away with a certain (sic) my fifth Amendment rights, but you can. I guarantee you you are the one who gets indicted for perjury if you're stupid enough to testify."

At another point, on Dec. 24, 2017, Credico calls on Stone in a text  to be honest with the FBI.

Stone replies two minutes later, according to the indictment: "I'm not talking to the FBI and if you are smart you won't either." 

Contributing: Brad Heath