The U.S President Donald Trump’s deputy chairman for the 2016 presidential campaign Rick Gates said during the Washington trial of Roger Stone that the president was likely personally fed information about Wikileaks’ plans to release Democratic emails hacked by Russia. Gates said during Stone’s trial that he was asked to stay abreast of the anti-secrecy organization’s plans. He added that then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort had told him Trump himself needed updates on the email releases before they were made public. Gates said in July 2016 that he overheard a phone call between Trump and Stone in which he believed they were discussing WikiLeaks. He said that he determined the call was regarding the organization’s efforts to publish the stolen emails because Trump said after hanging up the phone, “more information will be coming”.
Gates pointed out that he didn’t hear what Stone said on that call that took place while they were being driven to LaGuardia Airport from Trump Tower in New York City. He was testified that Trump indicated the new information would be coming within 30 seconds of hanging up the phone with Stone. Trump has indicated in the past that he doesn’t recall being given information regarding WikiLeaks disclosures before they were put online. Trump said he had no recollection of discussing the matter with Stone or anyone associated with his campaign during questions from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
It is noteworthy that WikiLeaks published various stolen emails in the months leading up to the 2016 election seemingly damaging to Trump’s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Gates said, “It was, in a way, a gift”, and indicated that campaign officials were pleased but “in disbelief”. The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange said in a June 2016 interview that his group was in possession of those emails. Stone has been charged with obstructing justice, witness tampering, and lying to the House Intelligence Committee during questioning for its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. But, he has pleaded not guilty. Gates’ testimony casts doubt on that claim and he indicated Manafort and aides Jason Miller and Stephen Miller had held brainstorming sessions related to WikiLeaks.