Instagram/Roger Stone Roger Stone and his wife, Nydia Beltran, pictured on December 29.
Nydia Bertran, Roger Stone’s second wife, married the controversial conservative political operative in Las Vegas in 1992. Previously, between 1974 and 1990, Stone had been married to Anne Wesche. On January 25, Stone was arrested by the FBI at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is accused of one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of false statements and one count of witness tampering. Stone pleaded not guilty to his charges in federal court.
Nydia said in an August 2018 tweet that her husband “will not be indicted unless Mueller pressures witnesses for answers he wants; harasses and intimidates them with the full force of the FBI at his back. He couldn’t prove collusion so he will try to embarrass and humiliate him.”
On November 15, 2019, Roger Stone was found guilty of obstruction of proceedings, lying to congress and witness intimidation at the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. On February 11, as the Department of Justice revealed that the sentence recommendation for Stone would be reduced, two of the prosecutors in the case withdrew their service. Lawyer Jonathan Kravis has resigned as an assistant U.S. attorney. The prosecution had recommended that Stone serve between 7 and 9 years. Stone was sentenced 40 months in prison. Nydia has maintained that her husband has been the victim of juror misconduct in his trial.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Stone Was Fired From Bob Dole’s 1996 Presidential Campaign After He & His Wife Posted Ads Looking for Male Sexual Partners
In 1996, Roger Stone was working as a consultant on Senator Bob Dole’s presidential campaign. He was forced to resign following a National Enquirer story that accused Stone of posting ads looking for sexual partners to join him and Nydia in the bedroom. The headline read, “Top Dole Aide Caught in Group-Sex Ring.” The Enquirer story said that Stone had used a magazine named “Local Swing Fever” to place the ads. The Washington Post reported at the time that “Military, bodybuilders and jocks” were invited to contact a “40DD-24-36” woman and a “trim, blond, muscular” man. The contact information listed lined up with Roger Stone’s email address. Nydia and her husband also sought “couples or exceptional muscular, well-[endowed], single men.”
Stone denied the report at the time. Stone went on to appear on “Good Morning America” to claim that an investigation had revealed that a former employee of Stone’s, who he fired for “substance abuse,” had posted the ads as an act of revenge. Later, in 2008 during an interview with the New Yorker, Stone admitted that the ads were his. Stone added, “When that whole thing hit the fan in 1996, the reason I gave a blanket denial was that my grandparents were still alive. I’m not guilty of hypocrisy. I’m a libertarian and a libertine.” In September 2017, Stone was quoted as saying he is “trysexual.”
2. Nydia’s Social Media Activity Is Almost Entirely Dedicated to Her Husband’s Cause
Instagram/Nydia StoneThis New Year’s Eve message from Stone and her husband read, “Happy New Year! We’re to kick 2018 to the street and welcome 2019.”
Nydia has used her Twitter account in the last few months to show her support for her husband. Beginning in October 2018, Nydia said that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, “knows nothing detrimental to Roger Stone and Morgan is lying to get on TV. There’s a complete FEEDING FRENZY by obvious govt leaks to keep the collusion myth alive!”
So what Tweet #rogerjstonejr creating now? #yuge # trump – Great dinner partner :( http://t.co/W4KiKGa2WC
In a subsequent tweet, Nydia said, “I have been by Roger Stone’s side for 30 years and no matter how many people are interviewed there is: NO RUSSIAN COLLUSION; NO WIKI LEAKS; NO JULIAN ASSANGE. No matter how much Mueller wishes – IT JUST AIN’T SO!” A message shortly afterward saw Nydia refer to her husband as “brilliant at analyzing the news and predicting what will happen but that is NOT ILLEGAL.”
Nydia’s last tweet before her husband’s arrest came on November 8, 2018. The tweet linked to a Stripes article with the headling, “Two more associates of Roger Stone testify before Mueller grand jury.” Nydia accompanied the link with the words, “The truth about my husband #RogerStone finally coming out!”
The Associated Press reported in February 2019 that former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich had allowed Nydia access to his email client list in order to solicit donations for Stone’s legal defense. Nydia Stone’s last Instagram post prior to her husband being found guilty was a photo showing her with her husband, Stone is holding a martini while Nydia is drinking red wine. The caption for the photo reads, “Celebrating a great week.”
On February 2, Nydia wrote on her Instagram page, “My husband Roger Stone is a hero for his refusal to provide false testimony against Donald Trump.”
3. Stone & Nydia Are the Godparents to Madam Kristin Davis’ Child
Roger Stone served as the campaign manager for Kristin Davis, the former madam who was caught up in the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal’s, run for governor in New York in 2010. Davis, however, was not involved in the Emperor’s Club, the brothel that Spitzer was accused of frequenting.
my dude looks like the babadook t.co/9d0C79q9Om
The Washington Post reported in August 2018 that Stone and Nydia were the godparents to Davis’ child. The article says that Stone allowed Davis to live in his apartment on 71st Street. The piece goes on to say that Nydia rarely goes to New York City to visit her godchild, rather Davis “flies to Florida every three or four months” so they can spend time together. Davis is quoted in the article as calling Nyida “a saint.”
On the day of Stone’s January 25 arrest, Kristin Davis’ apartment was also raided by the FBI.
4. Nydia’s Grandchildren Call Stone ‘Pop-Pop’
A 1999 New York Times feature on Stone detailed that the political operative “did not want it published that his three grandchildren — by way of Nydia’s past marriages — call him, shucks, “Pop-pop.” During the same interview, Stone, who is known for his ostentatious style, said, “I never owned a pair of blue jeans until I met my second wife.”
A New Dawn Magazine feature on Stone saw him discuss his health regime saying, “Ho shou wu is an Asian tonic remedy that solves so many problems. From overall longevity to lower stress levels, it works miracles. My wife Nydia and I have always favored natural remedies and homeopathic solutions.”
5. Stone & Nydia Met at Ronald Reagan Event in the 1980s
Stone told the Washington Post in a 2017 feature that he met his wife at an event during one of Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaigns. Nydia had been working at the event as a photographer. The article describes a Polaroid taped up on a computer monitor in their home. The picture shows the pair in the 1980s as “slender and stylish with deep 1980s tans.” Nydia is described as a “Cuban-American” in the article.
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