The Enigma of Roger Stone: Political Fossil or Prophet of the Fringe?

Roger Stone: Time-Warped Trickster, Conspiracy Crusader, or Truth-Seeker?

A Stone-cold exposé.

Roger Stone, the self-styled political provocateur and longtime Trump confidant remains a polarizing figure in American politics, his every move dripping with intrigue, bravado, and a knack for controversy. As of February 14, 2025, Stone’s recent activities—amplified through his media appearances, social media posts, and legal battles—raise a pressing question: Is he a man stuck in a time warp, recycling decades-old tactics and grudges? A full-blown conspiracy theorist peddling wild narratives for relevance? Or a serious operative genuinely seeking truth amid a murky political landscape? Let’s dig into the evidence and cut through the noise.

The Time Warp Hypothesis: A Nixon-Era Relic in a Digital Age

Stone’s career reads like a throwback to the gritty, bare-knuckle politics of the 1970s. A veteran of Nixon, Reagan, and Trump campaigns, he’s built a reputation as a “dirty trickster,” a moniker he wears like a badge of honor. His recent posts on X and appearances on platforms like WABC Radio’s The Roger Stone Show reveal a man still obsessed with historical vendettas—particularly his fixation on the JFK assassination. Stone’s claims, such as those in his February 1, 2025, post on X asserting “LBJ + CIA + Mob + Texas Oil + Israel = JFK Murder,” echo his 2013 book The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ. Critics, like Hugh Aynesworth in The Washington Times, have dismissed these theories as “totally full of all kinds of crap,” yet Stone doubles down, hosting multi-hour specials on the topic as recently as February 2, 2025.

This obsession with 60-year-old conspiracies suggests Stone might be trapped in a Nixon-era mindset, where shadowy cabals and backroom deals dominated political lore. His tactics—smear campaigns, counterattacks, and media manipulation—feel ripped from the playbook of his mentor, Lee Atwater. But in 2025, with politics dominated by digital disinformation and polarized echo chambers, does Stone’s analog approach still hold weight? Or is he a relic, clinging to relevance by rehashing old battles?

The Conspiracy Theorist Charge: From InfoWars to Satanic Portals

Stone’s ties to conspiracy circles are undeniable. His frequent collaborations with Alex Jones on InfoWars, his promotion of QAnon-adjacent rhetoric, and his bizarre 2022 claim of a “satanic portal” above the White House (reiterated in a South Carolina speech) paint a picture of a man fully immersed in fringe narratives. On February 12, 2025, Jones amplified Stone’s warning on X that the “radical left” might assassinate Trump, start a war, or launch another “fake pandemic”—claims that thrive on fear but lack evidence.

Stone’s history amplifies this perception. During the 2016 Trump campaign, he pushed baseless theories, like Huma Abedin’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood or Saudi Arabia’s role in 9/11, often retracting them only under legal pressure (e.g., his 2018 defamation settlement over Guo Wengui). His 2016 promotion of the Seth Rich conspiracy—falsely claiming the murdered DNC staffer was WikiLeaks’ source—was debunked by Mueller’s report, yet Stone’s legal team still leaned on it in 2019 to challenge his charges.

His associations with far-right groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, documented in 2018 and 2021, further fuel the narrative. Video footage from The Washington Post showed Stone meeting Oath Keepers on January 6, 2021, and his ties to Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio are well-established. The House January 6 Committee subpoenaed him in 2021, but Stone invoked the Fifth, leaving questions unanswered. Is Stone a calculated provocateur amplifying conspiracies for political gain, or has he genuinely bought into the fever swamps he once exploited?

The Truth-Seeker Defense: A Maverick Against the Establishment?

Stone’s supporters argue he’s a lone voice challenging a corrupt establishment. His February 11, 2025, X post claimed newly disclosed FBI documents prove he was “targeted by the politically-motivated and weaponized FBI and DOJ” during his 2019 conviction for obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering. Stone insists the charges were “bullshit” and that exculpatory evidence was withheld—a claim that resonates with Trump allies who see him as a martyr of “deep state” overreach.

His focus on the JFK assassination, while fringe, taps into a broader skepticism about government transparency. Stone’s February 13, 2025, post on X urged Trump to force “full disclosure” of JFK records, alleging the “Deep State” would evade such orders. This aligns with his narrative as a truth-seeker, exposing hidden forces—be it the CIA, LBJ, or Texas oil barons—that he claims shape history.

Stone’s defenders, like Trump himself, praise his loyalty and patriotism. His commutation in 2020 and pardon later that year by Trump bolstered this image, framing him as a victim of partisan persecution rather than a convicted felon. Could Stone’s bombast and conspiracies mask a genuine quest for accountability, however flawed his methods?

“The Making of the President 2016.” A partisan rant masquerading as political history.

Roger Stone’s The Making of the President 2016: How Donald Trump Orchestrated a Revolution is a 363-page testament to the author’s unapologetic partisanship and flair for self-aggrandizement, but it falls far short of the legacy it claims to inherit from Theodore H. White’s iconic series. Published in January 2017 by Skyhorse Publishing, the book promises an insider’s account of Trump’s 2016 victory, leveraging Stone’s decades-long ties to the former president, his role as a campaign advisor until August 2015, and his informal influence thereafter. What it delivers, however, is a disjointed, exclamation-heavy screed that prioritizes bombast over substance, bias over analysis, and conspiracy over evidence. Stone’s narrative—peppered with praise for fringe outlets like Breitbart, InfoWars, and WorldNetDaily—leans heavily on his own anecdotes, dubious sources, and recycled talking points from his media appearances, undermining any pretense of objectivity or scholarly rigor. While it occasionally offers intriguing glimpses into Trump’s campaign machinations, such as Stone’s claims of orchestrating the “lock her up” chant or his alleged WikiLeaks contacts (later central to his 2019 conviction), these are drowned out by Stone’s relentless self-promotion and tangents into personal vendettas, like his vitriolic attacks on the Clintons, the “deep state,” and even GOP rivals like Jeb Bush.

Compared to White’s Pulitzer-winning elegance, meticulous research, and narrative depth, Stone’s work reads like a tabloid rant, littered with typos, hyperbole, and a jarring reliance on all-caps for emphasis—a far cry from the gravitas needed to justify its title’s lofty homage. Critics, like those on Goodreads and in The New Republic, have noted its lack of primary sources beyond Stone’s own assertions, contrasting sharply with White’s exhaustive interviews and archival work. For Trump loyalists, it’s a rallying cry, bolstered by endorsements from figures like Alex Jones and Judge Andrew Napolitano; for serious readers, it’s a slog through a partisan swamp, more revealing of Stone’s ego, his penchant for provocation, and his obsession with settling scores than of the election’s broader dynamics.

Unmasking Roger Stone’s 1996 scandal: swingers’ ads that sank a strategist.

In 1996, Roger Stone’s abrupt resignation from Bob Dole’s presidential campaign became a sensational scandal, but separating fact from fiction reveals a clearer picture. Fact: Stone, then an unpaid senior consultant on Dole’s “Clinton accountability team,” was forced to resign in September 1996 after the National Enquirer and Star tabloids reported he and his wife, Nydia Bertran Stone, had placed ads in swingers’ magazines like *Local Swing Fever* and on websites, seeking couples and single men for group sex. The ads, verified by Dole campaign spokesman Nelson Warfield as troubling, included explicit photos and descriptions—such as Nydia’s “40DD-24-36” measurements and Roger’s “muscular” build—confirmed later by Stone himself in a 2008 New Yorker interview, where he admitted their authenticity. Fiction: Claims that the ads were exclusively “online” misrepresent the era; while internet use was growing, the primary medium was print magazines, with one website ad paid via Nydia’s credit card. Stone initially denied the reports, blaming a “sick” former employee, but this was a lie, as he later conceded. The scandal, while factual in its core allegations, was amplified by tabloid sensationalism, yet it undeniably ended Stone’s role in Dole’s campaign, exposing a hypocrisy clashing with Dole’s “family values” platform.

Chicago Tribune, Sep 12, 1996: UNPAID DOLE ADVISER RESIGNS

An unpaid consultant to Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole was forced to resign Thursday after two supermarket tabloids reported he and his wife had advertised for group sex.

Consultant Roger Stone was a member of Dole’s “Clinton accountability team,” whose job was to point out inconsistencies in the president’s record.

“We don’t expect him to be associated with the campaign any further,” Dole campaign spokesman Nelson Warfield said.

The National Enquirer and the Star said Stone used the Internet and a “swingers’ magazine” called Swing Fever to find couples or single men to join him and his wife for group sex.

Before Trump, there was Cohn—Roger Stone’s original master of menace.

Roger Stone’s relationship with Roy Cohn, a notorious lawyer and alleged protégé of Senator Joseph McCarthy, reveals a mentorship rooted in ruthless political tactics, disdain for legal norms, and a shared affinity for bending truth to serve power. Cohn, who served as McCarthy’s chief counsel during the 1950s Red Scare, became a pivotal figure in Stone’s career, not only introducing him to Donald Trump in the late 1970s but also schooling him in the dark arts of political warfare during their work together on Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign. Cohn’s influence is evident in Stone’s “attack, attack, attack” philosophy—a direct echo of Cohn’s own playbook, which thrived on intimidation, smear campaigns, and leveraging media for maximum impact, as detailed in profiles by The Atlantic and Vanity Fair.

Cohn’s career ended in disgrace when he was disbarred in June 1986 by the New York State Supreme Court for unethical conduct—including defrauding a dying client by pressuring him to sign over assets and misappropriating funds in a scheme emblematic of his moral bankruptcy. Weeks later, Cohn died of AIDS-related complications on August 2, 1986, leaving behind a legacy of controversy and a network of loyalists, including Stone. Stone, who has openly praised Cohn’s toughness, loyalty, and access to elite circles, carried forward his mentor’s legacy, blending McCarthy-era paranoia with modern political intrigue. This influence is starkly visible in Stone’s ongoing conspiratorial rhetoric—such as his claims of “deep state” plots and JFK assassination cover-ups—and his unwavering loyalty to Trump, whom Cohn first connected him with decades earlier. Stone’s adoption of Cohn’s tactics underscores a lineage of cynicism that continues to shape his role as a provocateur in America’s polarized political landscape.

The Man Who Killed Kennedy? More like Stone’s sloppy speculation.

Roger Stone’s The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ, published in November 2013 by Skyhorse Publishing, is a provocative but deeply flawed attempt to pin John F. Kennedy’s assassination on Lyndon B. Johnson, blending Stone’s insider bravado with conspiracy-laden speculation and a clear agenda rooted in his Nixon-era loyalties. Marketed as a definitive exposé, the book relies on Stone’s political connections, anecdotal claims—such as LBJ’s alleged motive (ambition), means (Texas connections), and opportunity (proximity to the Dallas event)—and heavily on dubious fingerprint evidence tying Malcolm “Mac” Wallace, a convicted murderer linked to LBJ, to the Texas School Book Depository, a claim debunked by experts like Hugh Aynesworth in The Washington Times as “totally full of crap.” Stone leans on recycled theories from earlier JFK conspiracy works, like Jim Marrs’ Crossfire, and interviews with fringe figures, but offers little primary evidence beyond hearsay and circumstantial links, such as LBJ’s alleged mistress Madeleine Brown’s unverified tales. While Stone’s narrative is engaging and taps into public skepticism about the Warren Commission’s official story, it’s undermined by poor editing (e.g., typos and redundancies), a scattershot structure jumping between tangents, and an overt bias against LBJ, driven more by Stone’s decades-long allegiance to Richard Nixon—whom LBJ loomed over as a political rival—than by factual grounding, as noted in Kirkus Reviews’ critique of its “sloppy” execution. Compared to serious historical analyses by authors like Vincent Bugliosi or Gerald Posner, it reads like a partisan screed, prioritizing sensationalism over substance and failing to engage with counterarguments or archival records that contradict its thesis. For conspiracy enthusiasts, it’s a compelling, if messy, read, bolstered by endorsements from figures like Alex Jones; for discerning readers, it’s a speculative slog that collapses under scrutiny, failing to deliver on its bold promise of rewriting history.

The Verdict: A Hybrid of Self-Interest and Delusion

The evidence suggests Roger Stone is neither fully stuck in the past, nor just a conspiracy theorist, nor purely a truth-seeker. He’s a hybrid—a cunning operative whose Nixon-era tactics still find fertile ground in today’s polarized climate, but whose immersion in conspiracy culture may have blurred the line between strategy and belief. His recycling of JFK theories and alliances with figures like Jones and Tarrio show a man leveraging old-school ratfucking for modern relevance, yet his fervor—on “satanic portals” or Trump’s enemies—hints at genuine paranoia or delusion.

Stone’s actions aren’t just theater; they have consequences. His ties to January 6 figures and election fraud narratives (e.g., his 2020 fake elector discussions, recorded by filmmaker Laura Windsor) show he’s still a player, not a bystander. But his credibility is undermined by a track record of falsehoods, retractions, and legal troubles. The Justice Department’s 2021 tax lawsuit against him and his wife for nearly $2 million adds another layer of skepticism—suggesting personal gain, not truth, often drives his moves.

So, is Roger Stone a time-warped relic, a conspiracy theorist, or a truth-seeker? He’s all three, fused into a chaotic force that thrives on disruption. Whether that makes him a dangerous manipulator or a misunderstood maverick depends on where you stand—but his impact, for better or worse, can’t be ignored.

Roger Stone’s 2019 Conviction: A Revisit and Update on a Political Firestorm

In November 2019, a federal jury in Washington, D.C., delivered a resounding verdict: Roger Stone, a veteran Republican operative and longtime confidant of Donald Trump, was found guilty on all seven counts in a case tied to the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The X post from November 2019 captured the initial public sentiment with dramatic flair: “Another one bites the dust… Roger Stone, GOP operative and Trump advisor, was found GUILTY on all seven counts against him, including witness tampering and making false statements. He will spend the rest of his life in prison.” As of February 14, 2025, this investigative update revisits that pivotal moment, examines what unfolded in the aftermath, and questions whether the initial outrage—and the prediction of lifelong imprisonment—held true.

The Conviction: A Blow to Stone and Trump’s Inner Circle

On November 15, 2019, after a trial that gripped political circles, Stone was convicted of obstructing a congressional investigation, five counts of making false statements to Congress, and one count of witness tampering. The charges stemmed from his actions during the House Intelligence Committee’s probe into Russian election interference, particularly his efforts to obscure his communications about WikiLeaks’ release of hacked Democratic emails in 2016. Prosecutors, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, portrayed Stone as a “serial liar” who bullied witnesses like radio host Randy Credico into silence, with threats like “Prepare to die” and “You’re a rat. A stoolie.”

The evidence was damning: Stone lied about his intermediaries with WikiLeaks, falsely claiming Credico was his sole contact while concealing his outreach to conservative author Jerome Corsi. He denied having written communications about WikiLeaks or discussing them with Trump campaign officials—claims debunked by texts, emails, and testimony from figures like Steve Bannon and Rick Gates. Bannon testified Stone was the campaign’s “access point” to WikiLeaks, while Gates recounted Trump’s post-call remark in July 2016 that “more information would be coming” about WikiLeaks’ plans.

The verdict marked Stone as the sixth Trump aide or advisor convicted in Mueller’s probe, following Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, and others. It was a high-profile win for the special counsel’s team, reinforcing the narrative of Trump associates obstructing justice to shield the campaign. Stone faced up to 50 years in prison—20 years for witness tampering alone—though legal experts predicted a lighter sentence for the first-time, non-violent offender.

United States Attorney’s Office, November 15, 2019: Roger Stone Found Guilty of Obstruction, False Statements, and Witness Tampering

Roger J. Stone, Jr., of Florida, was found guilty by a jury today of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and related offenses. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Stone was found guilty of obstruction of a congressional investigation, five counts of making false statements to Congress, and tampering with a witness. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Stone faces a prison sentence of up to five years for counts one to six and up to 20 years for count seven. He will be sentenced on February 6, 2020, by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson.

Immediate Fallout: Sentencing Drama and Trump’s Intervention

The X post’s assertion that Stone would “spend the rest of his life in prison” reflected the initial outrage and maximum sentencing potential but quickly proved premature. On February 20, 2020, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Stone to 40 months (3 years and 4 months) in prison, a $20,000 fine, four years of probation, and 250 hours of community service. The sentence was far less than the 7–9 years initially recommended by prosecutors, a recommendation the Justice Department controversially backed away from after Trump’s public criticism on Twitter, calling it “a miscarriage of justice.” This led to the withdrawal of four prosecutors from the case, sparking accusations of political interference.

Stone’s legal team sought a new trial, alleging juror bias, but Judge Jackson denied the request in April 2020, affirming the conviction’s integrity. As Stone’s prison report date loomed in July 2020, Trump intervened, commuting Stone’s sentence on July 10, 2020, just days before he was to surrender. The commutation spared Stone from prison but left his felony convictions intact, as Robert Mueller emphasized in a rare public statement: “Stone remains a convicted felon, and rightly so.”

In December 2020, Trump escalated his support, granting Stone a full pardon, erasing the legal consequences of the convictions. The pardon ignited outrage among Democrats and legal scholars, who decried it as an abuse of power, but it cemented Stone’s status as a Trump loyalist shielded by executive privilege.

What We’ve Learned Since: Stone’s Post-Conviction Trajectory

As of February 14, 2025, revisiting the 2019 conviction reveals both continuity and evolution in Stone’s saga:

No Prison Time, But Lasting Stigma: Contrary to the X post’s prediction, Stone never served a day in prison due to Trump’s commutation and pardon. However, the convictions remain a legal and reputational stain, frequently cited by critics as evidence of his corruption and Trump’s willingness to protect allies. Posts on X, like one from @RealHousewifeMi in July 2020, underscore this: “Roger Stone lied to Congress, obstructed justice, and was found guilty of witness tampering. He is now a free man.”
Stone’s Defiance and Conspiracy Pivot: Post-pardon, Stone has leaned harder into his “dirty trickster” persona, amplifying conspiracy theories and maintaining relevance in far-right circles. His February 2025 X posts and media appearances focus on JFK assassination theories, alleged “deep state” plots, and warnings of Trump’s enemies launching “fake pandemics” or assassinations. This shift suggests the 2019 conviction didn’t deter him but rather fueled his narrative as a persecuted truth-teller.
Ongoing Legal and Political Scrutiny: Stone’s ties to January 6, 2021, and his associations with groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers have kept him under scrutiny. The House January 6 Committee subpoenaed him in 2021, but he invoked the Fifth Amendment. A 2021 Justice Department lawsuit against Stone and his wife for nearly $2 million in unpaid taxes further clouds his financial motives, suggesting personal gain often drives his actions.
Public Perception Split: The 2019 conviction polarized views on Stone. Trump allies, like @politico’s February 2020 post, frame him as a victim of a biased system, while critics, like @AP’s November 2019 coverage, see him as emblematic of Trump-era corruption. The X post’s hyperbole reflects the latter’s outrage, but Stone’s freedom underscores the former’s influence.

Critical Analysis: A Conviction Without Consequences?

The 2019 guilty verdict was a legal triumph but a political failure in terms of accountability. Stone’s commutation and pardon highlight the limits of justice when executive power intervenes, raising questions about the equal application of the law. Did the conviction expose a broader Trump campaign conspiracy with WikiLeaks and Russia, as Mueller’s redacted report hinted? Or was Stone a scapegoat for a system eager to punish Trump’s orbit without tackling the root issues?

Stone’s post-conviction behavior—doubling down on conspiracies, aligning with extremists, and evading further accountability—suggests the verdict didn’t reform him but emboldened him. The initial X post’s claim of lifelong imprisonment was an overreach, but its sentiment captured a public demand for justice that Trump’s actions undermined.

Conclusion: A Felon Free, But Not Forgotten

As of February 14, 2025, Roger Stone’s 2019 conviction stands as a landmark moment in the Trump era—a clear guilty verdict undone by political loyalty. He didn’t spend “the rest of his life in prison,” but the convictions remain a factual anchor in his controversial legacy. Stone continues to thrive in fringe circles, his influence is undiminished, his narrative unchallenged by incarceration. The story isn’t over; it’s a cautionary tale of justice deferred, with Stone as both villain and victor in America’s polarized political theater.

Roger Stone’s IRS Woes: Investigative Update on Alleged Tax Evasion Claims

Roger Stone’s claim during a 2018 InfoWars appearance that he was being “harassed” by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over unpaid 2014 taxes, which he denied, has resurfaced amid ongoing scrutiny of his financial dealings. As of February 14, 2025, this investigative update examines the veracity of Stone’s assertions, the IRS’s documented actions, and Alex Jones’s framing of the issue as a political “war,” contrasting Stone’s public narrative with federal records and subsequent developments.

Analysis: Fact vs. Fiction

Fact: The IRS filed liens against Stone for nearly $1.5 million in unpaid taxes from 2006–2011, with the 2014 Broward lien part of this ongoing issue—not a standalone harassment, as Stone claimed. The 2021 lawsuit and 2022 settlement confirm his tax delinquency, contradicting his 2018 denial.
Fiction: Stone’s assertion of full compliance and Jones’s “war” narrative lack evidence. The liens’ timeline (2010–2014) and settlement terms show a pattern of non-payment, not political persecution. Stone’s claim of harassment over only 2014 taxes misrepresents the broader dispute.
Gray Area: Stone’s financial distress claim—blaming Mueller’s investigation—may explain his inability to pay but doesn’t negate the debt’s existence or his initial denial. Jones’s exaggeration reflects InfoWars’ agenda but taps into real conservative fears of government overreach.

Conclusion

As of February 14, 2025, the 2021 federal tax lawsuit against Roger Stone, as reported by Politico, concluded with a $2.1 million settlement in 2022, affirming the Stones’ tax delinquency but stopping short of criminal charges. Stone’s narrative of political persecution, while resonant with his base, is unsupported by the timeline or evidence, which instead paints a picture of chronic tax evasion masked by luxury spending. The story reinforces Stone’s pattern of deflecting accountability with conspiracy claims, but the settlement ensures he paid a price—financially, if not legally—closing a chapter in his saga of controversy with a clear, if quiet, resolution.

Roger Stone’s Watergate Role and Senate Firing: Investigative Update

The claim that Roger Stone was fired from a Senate job due to his role in Watergate, as detailed by New Yorker staff writer Jeffrey Toobin, resurfaces a foundational episode in Stone’s controversial career. As of February 14, 2025, this investigative update examines the accuracy of the claim, Stone’s early political machinations, and their impact on his Senate tenure, drawing on historical records, Toobin’s account, and subsequent commentary.

The Original Claim and Context

In a 2008 New Yorker profile, Jeffrey Toobin wrote that Stone, at age 19, played a “bit part” in the 1972 Watergate scandals while working as a junior operative for Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign (CREEP). Toobin detailed Stone’s “dirty tricks”: adopting the pseudonym Jason Rainier, Stone made donations in the name of the Young Socialist Alliance to Pete McCloskey’s campaign—Nixon’s GOP primary challenger—then sent a receipt to the Manchester Union Leader to falsely portray McCloskey as a leftist. Stone also hired another operative, pseudonymized as Sedan Chair II, to infiltrate George McGovern’s Democratic campaign. These actions, Toobin noted, were exposed during 1973 congressional hearings, linking Stone to Watergate’s broader pattern of sabotage.

The claim that Stone was “fired from a Senate job” because of this role stems from his brief employment in 1973 as a staffer for Senator Lowell Weicker (R-CT), a member of the Senate Watergate Committee. Reports, like those in The Washington Post (1973) and later analyses (Politico, 2016), suggest his Watergate involvement led to his termination, marking an early stain on his career.

As of February 14, 2025, here’s what’s substantiated:

Stone’s Watergate Role: Historical records, including Senate Watergate Committee testimony and CREEP files, confirm Stone’s involvement. At 19, he worked under CREEP’s “dirty tricks” strategist Donald Segretti, executing low-level sabotage. The McCloskey donation scheme, using the pseudonym Jason Rainier, is documented in The Washington Post (1973) and The New York Times archives, with Stone admitting it in later interviews (e.g., The New Yorker, 2008). The Sedan Chair II infiltration of McGovern’s campaign is less detailed but corroborated by Segretti’s testimony and Stone’s own accounts, per All the President’s Men by Woodward and Bernstein.

POLITICO: Roger Stone and ‘Ratf—ing’: A Short History

By then, of course, the “ratfuckers” working for Nixon were being exposed in the unfolding Watergate scandal. But to this day, Roger Stone distances himself from the term. “The Nixon people were amateurish,” he told Rolling Stone in 2016. “They had this whole USC-fraternity mentality that took over after 1968, with the ‘ratfucking.’ This is how Watergate happens.” Stone might be right that his dirty tricks are more than merely pointless collegiate hijinks, but if his mischief-making did indeed have an impact on the 2016 election, that doesn’t do him any favors in the Mueller investigation.

Congressional Exposure: Stone’s actions were revealed during 1973 Senate Watergate hearings, where Segretti and other CREEP operatives testified about sabotage efforts. Stone’s name surfaced as a minor player, not a central figure like G. Gordon Liddy or E. Howard Hunt, but his role was enough to draw scrutiny, as noted in committee transcripts and The Washington Post coverage.
Senate Job and Firing: Stone joined Senator Weicker’s staff in early 1973 as a legislative aide, leveraging his Nixon campaign experience. Weicker, a Watergate Committee member critical of Nixon, fired Stone shortly after his Watergate role emerged during hearings, per Politico (2016) and The Atlantic (2019). Weicker’s office confirmed the dismissal in 1973 statements, citing Stone’s “inappropriate” campaign activities, though exact dates vary (some reports suggest late spring, others summer 1973). Stone has downplayed the firing, claiming in a 2017 Politico interview it was a “brief gig” ended by mutual agreement, but Weicker’s public stance and contemporary reports contradict this.
Stone’s Defense: Stone has never denied the Watergate tricks, instead embracing them as youthful zeal. In The New Yorker (2008) and *Get Me Roger Stone* (2017 documentary), he boasted of the McCloskey ploy as “ingenious,” framing it as standard political hardball, not illegal. He’s argued the Senate firing was overblown, a “footnote” exaggerated by critics, per X posts like @RogerJStoneJr (2020).

Analysis: Fact vs. Narrative

Fact: Stone’s Watergate role—McCloskey donations, McGovern infiltration—is documented and admitted. His Senate job under Weicker ended abruptly in 1973 after hearings exposed these actions, aligning with the firing claim.
Hyperbole: Claims Stone was a “key player” in Watergate exaggerate his minor role; he was a junior operative, not a mastermind. Suggestions he was “blacklisted” from politics overstate the firing’s impact—he quickly rebounded.
Gray Area: Stone’s intent (prank vs. sabotage) and Weicker’s exact reasoning (ethics vs. optics) are debated, but the outcome—termination tied to Watergate—is undisputed.

Conclusion

As of February 14, 2025, the story of Roger Stone’s firing from a Senate job due to his Watergate role, as Toobin described, holds firm as fact. At 19, Stone executed “dirty tricks” for Nixon’s campaign, exposed in 1973 hearings, leading to his dismissal from Senator Weicker’s staff. While Stone downplays it as a youthful misstep, the episode cemented his reputation as a provocateur, a thread running through his later scandals. The firing wasn’t a career-ender but a warning shot—one Stone ignored, thriving in controversy ever since.

Roger Stone highlights from X