On Friday, one of President Trump’s former political advisors, Roger Stone, was convicted of seven felonies related to his actions in the 2016 presidential election.

In January 2019, the FBI raided Stone’s Fort Lauderdale residence in the early hours before he was brought to a federal courthouse, charged with one count of obstructing an official proceeding, five counts of false statements and another count of witness tampering.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation revealed that Stone misled both Mueller and Congress when they inquired into Stone’s connection regarding the strategic leaks of stolen Democratic National Convention documents. Prosecutors presented evidence that alleged Stone sought to obtain those emails for the benefit of Trump’s campaign, according to The Washington Post.

Under sworn testimony, Stone failed to truthfully recall his efforts to discover the specific time when WikiLeaks — an international organization that publishes news leaks and classified documents — would release DNC emails stolen by the Russians. Former White house Chief Strategist Steve Bannon testified that the campaign saw Stone as a reliable connection to

Wikileaks. Stone has fiercely denied these allegations, despite tweeting that it would soon be “Podesta’s time in the barrell” before damaging leaks about John Podesta leaked in October 2016.

Erick English ‘21, a student at John Carroll, says Roger Stone’s convictions slightly impact his views on Trump. “The degree [of] involvement [Trump] had in this situation is not entirely known, and that’s a cause of concern. [Stone] committing these offenses is not a good look for Trump because of his relations with him. But as a presidential candidate, I still believe he’s our best option.”

Stone is a well-known conservative operative dating back to the Nixon years, where he made a name for himself through political maneuvers such as donating to the Young Socialist Alliance in a rival conservative’s name. After assisting Ronald Reagan’s electoral win in 1980, Roger Stone and fellow lobbyist Paul Manafort formed a political consulting and lobbying firm and eventually coined what was called the “Torturer’s Lobby,” according to The Washington Post, because of their support for pro-Western dictatorships. Manafort himself is currently serving seven and a half years in prison for convictions such as constructing fraudulent business records to obtain loans.

Stone is the sixth Trump associate convicted of charges brought about by Mueller’s investigation. His sentencing is tentatively scheduled for February of next year, according to the New York Times.