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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 9 November 2019
Bannon says Stone was Trump campaign link to WikiLeaks

Continued from Front candidate Trump — includ-
ing three calls on July 14,
The White House had no 2016 — the day that a mas-
immediate comment. sive hack of the Democrat-
Stone, a colorful political ic National Committee's
operative and Trump ally, is servers was reported. But
charged with witness tam- the agent said she did not
pering and lying to Con- know what was discussed
gress about his attempts to on those calls.
contacts WikiLeaks about As he left the courthouse,
the damaging material Bannon griped about be-
during the 2016 presidential ing subpoenaed by prose-
campaign. cutors and Congress in ad-
While Stone repeatedly dition to being interviewed
"implied that he had a con- several times by special
nection with WikiLeaks," counsel Robert Mueller's
he never stated it directly, team as it investigated
Bannon said. Russian interference in the
The campaign took Stone's 2016 presidential election.
boasts seriously enough to "I was forced and com-
follow up, asking why ex- pelled to come here to-
pected information about day," he said as he climbed
Clinton wasn't revealed into a waiting SUV outside
when Assange held a press the courthouse.
conference in October Bannon's testimony came
2016. after comedian and radio
Bannon, who testified in talk show Randy Credico Roger Stone, and his wife Nydia, arrive at Federal Court for his federal trial in Washington, Friday,
response to a subpoena, told jurors that Stone pres- Nov. 8, 2019.
did not say anything about sured him into backing Associated Press
Trump and said Stone had up lies he told Congress, dential campaign. "He tive who revered Richard with Assange. Prosecutors
not been sent by anyone threatening to take away wanted me to go along Nixon so much that he have said Stone lied about
on the campaign to talk to his dog at one point. Cred- with this narrative," Credico has the disgraced former his efforts to learn more
Assange. ico said Stone pressed him said in his second day of president's face tattooed about the WikiLeaks releas-
Earlier this week, a former to "go along" with a false testimony. Stone called a on his back. Credico and es because the truth about
FBI agent testified about account of the operative's Credico a "rat" and a "stoo- Stone met in 2002 through his efforts would "look bad"
a flurry of phone calls be- contacts with WikiLeaks lie" in a threatening April the campaign of a third- for Trump.
tween Stone and then- during the 2016 U.S. presi- 2018 email. Credico also party candidate for New In an often-testy cross ex-
testified that Stone used York governor. Despite their amination, defense attor-
repeated references from political differences, Stone ney Robert Buschel tried to
the movie "The Godfather was a regular guest on paint Stone as the victim
Part II" to intimidate him into Credico's radio show. of a con job by Credico,
either backing up Stone's "He's good on radio," Cred- saying that the radio host
testimony to Congress or ico said of Stone. "He's a repeatedly lied to Stone
refusing to testify. good guest to have on." to exaggerate his connec-
"My lawyers are dying to rip Stone, a longtime Trump tion and influence with As-
you to shreds. I'm going to confidant and conserva- sange. They went through
take that dog away from tive operative who has a the pair's text exchanges
you," he said in the email, tattoo of former president before Credico's Septem-
which Credico read aloud Richard Nixon's face on his ber 2016 trip to London.
in court. And while Credico back, is accused of tell- Credico wrote to Stone
testified he considered the ing Congress that Credico that a meeting with As-
threat "hyperbole," he also was the source of his inside sange, who was shelter-
said that Stone "plays hard- information about WikiLe- ing from prosecution in the
ball" and "I did not want to aks. But Credico said he Ecuadoran embassy, was
rile the guy." and Stone never discussed "on the agenda." In real-
The radio host told the court WikiLeaks before late Au- ity, there was no meeting
he's had his dog Bianca, a gust 2016, making it impos- planned and the closest
small breed known as a co- sible that he was the "trust- Credico got to Assange
ton de tulear, since 2006. "I ed intermediary" that Stone was delivering a letter from
have no wife, no kids, I've had been referring to for his radio station's adminis-
been around the dog for months. Credico did man- tration to the embassy of-
12 years," he said. age to contact Assange fering Assange a show on
Credico has occasionally through mutual acquaint- their channel.
provoked laughter in court ance Margaret Kunstler, Credico said Stone was
and warnings from the and hosted Assange on pestering him with requests
judge. his radio show on Aug. 25, and that he led Stone to
Thursday's testimony de- 2016. He says Stone, who believe he was working on
tailed the acrimonious had already claimed in in- making contact with As-
collapse of the relation- terviews to have a back- sange "just to satisfy him
ship between the liberal channel link to Assange, and get him off my back."
Credico and Stone, a long- immediately started asking Stone's trial is scheduled to
time conservative opera- Credico to put him in touch resume on Tuesday.q