Who is longtime Trump associate Roger Stone?

Self-proclaimed 'dirty trickster' says he's 'fervent supporter of president'

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – If you follow politics closely, you've heard of Roger Stone and probably know his history as a "dirty trickster" -- a label he wears proudly.  

The question today is: Did Stone play dirty and illegal tricks for President Donald Trump?

Stone is at the center of Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.   

Mueller's prosecutors said Stone lied in testimony to the House Intelligence Committee last year and allegedly encouraged another operative to back him up when he testified.

He did not look worried Friday as he wore a smile and made a victory sign as he emerged from federal court following his early-morning arrest.

"I will plead not guilty to these charges. I will defeat them in court," Stone told reporters after he was released from custody. "I believe this is a politically motivated investigation."

Stone has been motivated by politics all his life. 

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President Ronald Reagan's campaign operatives, Roger Stone, left, Ed Rollins and Lee Atwater, right, discuss the meeting they had during the president's re-election campaign with former President Richard Nixon in Washington on Nov. 13, 1984.

He started out working for Richard Nixon in 1972. He's even got a tattoo of the late disgraced president on his back.

Stone has been friends with Trump for three decades and was a formal adviser to his campaign in 2015. He's been an informal adviser since and the two remain friends.

"I am one of his oldest friends. I am a fervent supporter of the president. I think he is doing a great job in making America great again," Stone said.  

The president sent out an angry tweet after Stone's arrest.

Stone told reporters he would not "bear false witness" against Trump as the investigation continues. 

"There are no circumstances whatsoever under which I will bear false witness against the president nor will I make up lies to ease the pressure on myself," Stone said. 

That's music to the ears of an embattled president.  

Of course, other close friends and supporters of the president, like attorney Michael Cohen, said they'd never flip and testify against him, but they eventually did.  

If Stone doesn't, he could be in line for a pardon.