“I’m am curious if Stone’s team is attacking the weak link for either of two outcomes. One being the FBI throws out the charges. The other, by pushing the issue further, Stone can establish that the hack was actually an internal data transfer (available forensic evidence). That would open up the Seth Rich issue. Either way, the FBI has painted themselves into a corner. “
I think beyond getting himself off the hook, that Stone may well be pi$$ed off enough to pursue the second course to even the score. And as you say, the FBI has put itself in an untenable position, where they may not be able to BS their way out. There is also the specious charge that Stone was in cahoots with Julian Assange as I recall. All these people need to be paraded in front of a Federal Grand Jury and forced to testify under oath. Then start comparing the stories. There are so many lies here, that getting some of them into jail should not be difficult. Then do a “mueller” and force them to rat each other out to save their own a$$es! If we actually convicted the guilty here, we would have to add a wing to Leavenworth to house all of them.
Hard to say how this Stone case will end up. Personally I believe there was indeed an internal data xfer at the DNC and that the DNC server clock and Mb/sec readings showing unattainable internet speeds prove this 100% conclusively. Of course, this points to Seth Rich (or another Seth Rich type) and of course all involved vehemently deny this could be true. What else is new?
I have no opinion on whether Stone knew about the internal download or how Wikileaks got those emails and I have no idea other than a guess as to Stone’s involvement in any way that means anything to anybody. More than anything else, I believe pressure is being dumped on him for no other reason that he is a known Trump associate and the hope is he will cave under financial pressure from mounting legal bills. I myself do not believe Stone has any information of any value, nor do I think he had any active involvement.
All that I can tell you or anyone else for sure is that the Feds are infinitely financed and can continue a case against any defendant on any charge, without time limit, until the def is bled dry. And they have no issues about doing exactly that.
Either way, the FBI has painted themselves into a corner.
Only because they thought she would win.