FBI raid on Stone’s home shown on video
Longtime friend of Trump was arrested in Fort Lauderdale
With heavy guns drawn and making their approach before sunrise, a swarm of FBI agents swiftly advanced at the home of Roger Stone in late January.
Exclusive video obtained by WPEC-CBS12’s corporate parent, the Sinclair Broadcast Group, shows surveillance video from inside the FBI raid and the arrest of Roger Stone, a former presidential adviser and longtime friend of President Donald Trump.
The predawn raid happened Jan. 25, at Stone’s home in Fort Lauderdale.
Footage from Stone’s view shows the moments federal agents showed up, and eventually took him out in handcuffs.
After several knocks at the door, Stone appeared.
“I opened the door and in my front yard, I was staring down barrel of two assault weapons and I saw a dozen other FBI agents in the background, all wearing night goggles, full SWAT gear, side arms, and so-on. On the ground was a large metal device used to break down a door which was unnecessary,” Stone told Sinclair Broadcast Group Chief Political Correspondent Scott Thuman in an earlier interview.
Behind the house, agents arrived by boat.
Stone identified himself. Agents informed him about the warrant for his arrest and put him in handcuffs.
“I was wearing a ‘Roger Stone did nothing wrong’ Tshirt, a pair of cutoff sweatpants and bare feet. They took me out to stand in the in the middle of the street,” Stone said.
The longtime political operative is accused of lying to
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cover up alleged efforts by the Trump campaign to coordinate the release of stolen emails damaging to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, via the website Wikileaks.
“They essentially went through every square inch of my house, literally every square inch. They removed all of my electronics, my computer, my laptop, my iPad, a lot of computer disks, none of which have evidence of Russian collusion or Wikileaks collaboration or any other crime,” Stone said.
Multiple law enforcement sources say they used such force because it’s not uncommon to do so for someone who may be a flight risk, a danger, or someone who could potentially destroy crucial evidence. These are risks law enforcement has to consider.
In a previous interview with Thuman, Stone said there was a different reason for the show of force.
“I guess the point of this is to make me look guilty in public. To poison the jury pool. And make me look like ‘El Chapo’ or some kind of drug kingpin,” he said.
Some Republican lawmakers, like Stone, have complained about the raid and asked to be briefed by the head of the FBI.
The Office of the Special Counsel has declined to comment on the matter.
Stone faces federal charges of witness tampering, obstruction and lying to Congress in the special counsel’s Russia investigation.
Stone, who pleaded not guilty in federal court, vows to fight the charges.
WPEC CBS12 is the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s news partner.