Key Facts
Career & Education
About
Roger Jason Stone, born Roger Joseph Stone Jr. on August 27, 1952, in Norwalk, Connecticut, grew up in Vista, Lewisboro, New York, in a middle-class, blue-collar Catholic family of Hungarian and Italian ancestry. His mother, Gloria Rose Corbo, was a small-town reporter, PTA president, and Cub Scout den mother. His father, Roger J. Stone (known as 'Chubby'), was a well driller and chief of the Vista volunteer Fire Department. Stone showed early interest in politics, volunteering for Barry Goldwater's 1964 campaign and engaging in pranks during the 1960 election. He attended George Washington University but left after one year in 1972 without a degree. Stone is an American political consultant, lobbyist, strategist, and longtime political operative known for his long-standing ties to Republican campaigns. He began his career in 1972 as a junior scheduler for Nixon's Committee to Re-elect the President. Key positions include: President, Young Republicans (1977); Co-founder and partner, Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly lobbying firm (1980s–1990s); New York Regional Political Director, Reagan's 1980 campaign; Chief Strategist, Thomas Kean's New Jersey gubernatorial campaigns (1981, 1985); Senior Adviser, Jack Kemp's 1988 presidential campaign; Campaign Manager, Donald Trump's 2000 Reform Party campaign; Adviser, Trump's 2016 campaign (until August 2015, informal thereafter). He co-founded the National Conservative Political Action Committee (1975) and has lobbied for clients like Trump casinos. Stone is a Trump ally known for 'dirty tricks,' quoting Roy Cohn: 'Attack, attack, attack—never defend; admit nothing, deny everything, launch counterattack.' He organized the Brooks Brothers riot during the 2000 Florida recount, resigned from Dole's 1996 campaign over a National Enquirer prostitution scandal, and was accused of 1980s dirty tricks against Ed Koch. Stone was convicted in 2019 of witness tampering, obstructing Congress, and lying to Congress related to the Mueller probe on Russian election interference; he was sentenced to 40 months but received a commutation in 2020 and a full pardon from Trump on December 23, 2020. He has ties to the Proud Boys, who protected him post-arrest; was investigated for January 6 influence; and spread 2020 election conspiracies while supporting Russia in the Ukraine war. Married to Nydia Stone since December 7, 1991 (previous marriage to Ann Stone); daughter Adria Stone; stepson Scott Stone. Reported religious conversion to Christianity in 2020 after lifelong Catholicism. No verified military service, health issues, or substance history. Authored books like The Man Who Killed Kennedy (2013) and The Clintons' War on Women (2015); subject of documentary Get Me Roger Stone (2017). Banned from Twitter (2021), Facebook, and Instagram (2020) for fake accounts and policy violations. Host of The Roger Stone Show on WABC radio (2023–present).