At least 3 members of a pro-Roger Stone group are facing charges in connection with Jan. 6 riot

Three or more members of a pro-Roger Stone, pro-Donald Trump chat group called Friends of Stone are now facing charges in connection with the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building, according to the New York Times.

The Friends of Stone members are the Proud Boys’ Enrique Tarrio, Alex Jones associate Owen Shroyer and Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes. Times reporter Alan Feuer describes Friends of Stone as a combination of “‘Stop the Steal’ organizers, right-wing influencers, Florida state legislative aides and more than one failed candidate loyal to former President Donald J. Trump.”

“The focus of the chat was always the man whose photo topped its home page: Roger J. Stone, Jr., a long-time political operative and adviser to Mr. Trump,” Feuer reports. “While little is known about what was said on the chat, the membership list of Friends of Stone, provided to the New York Times by one of its participants, offers a kind of road map to Mr. Stone’s associations, showing their scope and nature in the critical period after the 2020 election. During that time, Mr. Stone was involved with a strikingly wide array of people who participated in efforts to challenge the vote count and keep Mr. Trump in the White House.”

Right-wing radio host Pete Santilli told the Times that Friends of Stone goes back to at least 2019.

Santilli told the Times, “The primary reason for the chat was to have a place for supporters to share stuff. You drop a link, and everyone shares it on their nontraditional channels.”

Feuer reports, “The group chat’s membership list…. (includes) activists like Marsha Lessard and Christina Skaggs, leaders of a group called the Virginia Freedom Keepers who helped to organize an anti-vaccine rally scheduled for the east side of the Capitol on January 6. Ms. Lessard and Ms. Skaggs worked with another anti-vaccine activist, Ty Bollinger, who was also on the list.”