Shorts: Why the FBI Sent So Many Agents to Roger Stone’s Home
The Lawfare Podcast
The Lawfare Institute
4.7 • 6.4K Ratings
🗓️ 4 February 2019
⏱️ 7 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the wake of Roger Stone’s arrest on Jan. 25, 2019, Chuck Rosenberg, a longtime U.S. federal law enforcement official, explained on Lawfare why the tactics used during the arrest were wholly appropriate. Nonetheless, some politicians, including the president and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, have raised questions about the FBI’s operational decisions—in particular regarding the allegedly excessive number of FBI officials who were present for the arrest and search of Stone’s home. In a second article for Lawfare, Rosenberg detailed why it was entirely appropriate for the FBI to send roughly 29 agents to Stone’s house. In the latest edition of the Lawfare Podcast Shorts, you can listen to that article in-full, read by the author.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The following podcast contains advertising to access an ad-free version of the LawFair |
| 0:07.2 | podcast become a material supporter of LawFair at patreon.com slash LawFair. |
| 0:14.7 | That's patreon.com slash LawFair. |
| 0:18.4 | Also check out LawFair's other podcast offerings, rational security, chatter, LawFair no bull, |
| 0:27.3 | and the aftermath. |
| 0:31.0 | I'm Chuck Rosenberg and this is the LawFair podcast February 4th 2019. |
| 0:40.0 | Today we have an article I wrote for LawFair which was published on Sunday February 3rd entitled |
| 0:47.0 | Why the FBI Sent So Many Agents to Roger Stone's Home. |
| 0:52.0 | In an article dated January 26th 2019 I explained that it was entirely lawful and justified |
| 1:00.0 | for the FBI to arrest Roger Stone. |
| 1:03.0 | Though there are several reasons I focused on one, the fact that Stone threatened to kill witness. |
| 1:10.0 | That threat alone supports law enforcement's request for an arrest warrant, which a federal judge granted. |
| 1:18.0 | The alternative, a summons that would permit Stone to voluntarily surrender, is not a matter of right, |
| 1:25.0 | and Stone forfeited that privilege with his words and conduct. |
| 1:30.0 | Relatedly, there seems to be some consternation about the number of FBI agents who executed the court authorized search warrant at Stone's home. |
| 1:41.0 | I do not know the precise number of special agents and other FBI personnel present, but Stone claimed there were 29 agents. |
| 1:49.0 | Though that sounds like a lot, it could be about right and wholly appropriate. |
| 1:56.0 | Contrary to reckless assertions, a law enforcement cadre of that size was neither excessive nor designed to send a message to Stone. |
| 2:06.0 | Further, it would not have been ordered or suggested by special counsel Bob Mueller or FBI director Chris Ray. |
| 2:14.0 | Rather, those operational decisions, how many agents to send on a particular mission, would have been delegated to the FBI supervisors and Stone's jurisdiction. |
| 2:26.0 | This delegation concerning the mechanics of the execution of the warrant is typical and proper. |
| 2:32.0 | In broad strokes, the FBI could bring as many as 24 agents and other personnel to this type of search and arrest. |
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