U.S. DOJ to seek lighter prison term for Trump adviser Stone - reports

[webfact]

U.S. DOJ to seek lighter prison term for Trump adviser Stone - reports

By Mark Hosenball and Sarah N. Lynch

 

FILE PHOTO: Roger Stone, former campaign adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, arrives for the continuation of his criminal trial on charges of lying to Congress, obstructing justice and witness tampering at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2019. REUTERS/Yara Nard

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice will seek a shorter prison sentence for Roger Stone, a convicted associate of President Donald Trump, hours after Trump tweeted that prosecutors were treating him unfairly, media outlets reported on Tuesday.

 

Trump called out prosecutors involved in the case after they proposed a sentence of 7 to 9 years for Stone, a longtime political adviser and self-proclaimed "dirty trickster," who was convicted of charges stemming from an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

 

"This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!" Trump tweeted early on Tuesday morning.

 

U.S. prosecutors, in a court filing on Monday, said their proposed sentence fell within guidelines and would "accurately reflect the seriousness of his crimes and promote respect for the law."

 

Stone faces a Feb. 20 sentencing after a jury found him guilty of seven counts of lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering.

 

Fox News, citing an unnamed senior Justice Department official, said the decision to scale back the requested sentence was made before Trump's tweet and that top department officials had been shocked by prosecutors' recommendation.

 

The Washington Post, NBC and Bloomberg also reported the move to seek a lighter sentence, although it was not immediately clear when any such filing would be made in the case being handled by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson.

 

"We look forward to reviewing the government’s supplemental filing," Stone's lawyer, Grant Smith, said in an email to Reuters.

 

Representatives for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the media reports.

 

Stone is one of several Trump associates charged with crimes as part of U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, which Trump has long decried as a "witch hunt."

 

Legal experts said it would be unusual for prosecutors to reduce their sentencing recommendations in a case like this one.

 

"You don’t want to be changing minds mid-stream. The office doesn’t look good in that regard," said Channing Phillips, a former U.S. Attorney under Democratic President Barack Obama.

 

David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor, said the government sometimes reduces its proposed sentence for cooperative defendants, but not for defiant ones like Stone. However, he said he thought the proposed sentence "seems a little heavy handed."

 

Last July, the Justice Department switched course on efforts to add a controversial citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. Census after Trump tweeted he would push hard to allow it even after the Supreme Court rejected it. The Justice Department had initially accepted the court ruling.

 

(additional reporting by Nathan Layne and Susan Heavey; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Bernadette Baum)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-12

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[candide]

Banana republic....

[pegman]

1 hour ago, candide said:

Banana republic....

Beat me to it. I sure hope the judge hits him hard. Say 20 yrs before parole.

[simple1]

1 hour ago, candide said:

Banana republic....

Yep. Under trump already on the first step of the ladder to authoritarianism.

[Andrew65]

No independent judiciary? 

 

Seems a bit weird that the President could pardon someone for crimes related to himself??!

[Kelsall]

12 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

No independent judiciary? 

 

Seems a bit weird that the President could pardon someone for crimes related to himself??!

No mention of pardon in the OP.

[Andrew65]

1 minute ago, Kelsall said:

No mention of pardon in the OP.

It's possible for Trump to "pardon" these people, according to other reports, Cohen etc.

[Boon Mee]

The whole case is a massive travesty of justice. Should never have been investigated by the DOJ. Just another aspect of the Witch Hunt to bring down Trump. 

[bendejo]

Anything DT does is ok as long as it's for the good of the country, and what other motive could he possibly have?

U.S. uber alles, y'all.

 

</sarcasm>

 

 

[Paul Henry]

Trump has once again broken the law. Commenting or suggesting ( as a government offical) outcomes of a trial  in progress is contempt of court. However the dick  tator claims he is above the law and under the 2nd amendment can do anything he likes and not be held responsible.

[gargamon]

All 4 federal prosecutors quit Stone case after DOJ overrules prosecutors on sentencing request

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/11/politics/roger-stone-sentencing-justice-department/index.html

 

Washington (CNN)In an extraordinary move, all four federal prosecutors who took the case against longtime Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone to trial withdrew Tuesday after top Justice Department officials undercut them and disavowed the government's recommended sentence against Stone.

The mass withdrawal of the career prosecutors on the case was a stunning response to the Justice Department's controversial and politically charged decision to reduce prosecutors' recommended sentence of up to nine years, which came just hours after Trump publicly criticized it on Twitter.

The rapid fire developments in the case -- the prosecutors' withdrawals came one by one through court filings over the course of two hours Tuesday afternoon -- spilled tensions between top Justice Department brass and the career prosecutors into the open, raising questions about the Justice Department's independence from political pressure.

[Tug]

Another blow delivered by trump against our democracy and rule of law kudos to the prosecutors for having the integrity to stand against this assault 

[Sujo]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

The whole case is a massive travesty of justice. Should never have been investigated by the DOJ. Just another aspect of the Witch Hunt to bring down Trump. 

So you disagree with the jury. 

[Emdog]

A trump appointee just took over top job in that district. That action probably had more to do with decision on lowering proposed sentencing request than any Trump tweet. Trump tweets to get rah rah from base while his hacks chop integrity to pieces in background

[Langsuan Man]

We will see what Judge Amy Berman Jackson has to say about this, since what the Prosecutors or DOJ propose means nothing, she has the Federal Sentencing Guidelines that she may or may not follow

 

Only a Pardon is going to get Stone off lightly 

[Matzzon]

That fact that The Supreme Court and the judge in the impeachment against Trump can´t figure out the facts is astonishing. Even my 7 year old daughter have already asked me why so many persons around and associated with Mr. Trump gets prosecuted and receive jail terms, and he still walks free and untouched?

It´s hard to explain ,right? How do you tell a 7 year old that they ain´t given a fair chance in life? On the other hand, it´s also great that she woken up at this early stage and can see more clearly than the US Supreme Court and it´s judges. That says a lot to me.

[Baerboxer]

7 hours ago, candide said:

Banana republic....

 

Yeah the DoJ worked so much better when a former POTUS and husband of a candidate to be POTUS could have a quiet word with the AG on an airport runway. Sorted.

[Baerboxer]

25 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

That fact that The Supreme Court and the judge in the impeachment against Trump can´t figure out the facts is astonishing. Even my 7 year old daughter have already asked me why so many persons around and associated with Mr. Trump gets prosecuted and receive jail terms, and he still walks free and untouched?

It´s hard to explain ,right? How do you tell a 7 year old that they ain´t given a fair chance in life? On the other hand, it´s also great that she woken up at this early stage and can see more clearly than the US Supreme Court and it´s judges. That says a lot to me.

 

Have you explained to her how the whole process stinks, just like the investigation into Hilary did before, with Bill meeting the AG for a little chat in the security of an airport runway?

 

And that there are no good people in politics and how the left liberals seek to manipulate the law to their advantage? How investigating people to find or construct a crime is now seemingly the main focus of one political party?

[Sujo]

Stones judge will soon show trump the meaning of separation of powers.

[Sujo]

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Have you explained to her how the whole process stinks, just like the investigation into Hilary did before, with Bill meeting the AG for a little chat in the security of an airport runway?

 

And that there are no good people in politics and how the left liberals seek to manipulate the law to their advantage? How investigating people to find or construct a crime is now seemingly the main focus of one political party?

Why would he lie to his daughter. He isnt a repub.

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, Tug said:

Another blow delivered by trump against our democracy and rule of law kudos to the prosecutors for having the integrity to stand against this assault 

 

Did you protest too when Bill Clinton met with the then AG on an airport runway during the Hilary investigation?

 

Or was that o k because you like their politics?

[Baerboxer]

12 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Why would he lie to his daughter. He isnt a repub.

 

Why do you think they're lies? Are you saying the much reported Clinton AG meeting never happened?

 

Do you believe all the Democrat <deleted>?

Edited February 12, 2020 by Baerboxer

[Nyezhov]

30 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

That fact that The Supreme Court and the judge in the impeachment against Trump can´t figure out the facts is astonishing. Even my 7 year old daughter have already asked me why so many persons around and associated with Mr. Trump gets prosecuted and receive jail terms, and he still walks free and untouched?

It´s hard to explain ,right? How do you tell a 7 year old that they ain´t given a fair chance in life? On the other hand, it´s also great that she woken up at this early stage and can see more clearly than the US Supreme Court and it´s judges. That says a lot to me.

I know the feeling. My kid asks me how government folks can take disinformation from Russia to use against American citizens, falsify Court applications for warrants, leak classified information and lie to Congress and yet still be walking around free. Its a hard question to answer, isnt it.

[Eric Loh]

Didn’t take Trump too long to abuse his power again. Happy to see the Dems took him to task. 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/11/harris-asks-graham-bring-barr-stone-sentencing-114254

[Matzzon]

14 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Have you explained to her how the whole process stinks, just like the investigation into Hilary did before, with Bill meeting the AG for a little chat in the security of an airport runway?

 

And that there are no good people in politics and how the left liberals seek to manipulate the law to their advantage? How investigating people to find or construct a crime is now seemingly the main focus of one political party?

Yes, but I just explained it with: Hey, you know the old stories about Al Capone and Bugsy as well as all other gangsters? They are called the traditional mafia. Today it´s a totally different ball game. Now everybody knows that the Clintons are the modern and most strong version of a powerful mafia.

[JHolmesJr]

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

Even my 7 year old daughter have already asked me why so many persons around and associated with Mr. Trump gets prosecuted and receive jail terms, and he still walks free and untouched?

 

59 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

I know the feeling. My kid asks me how government folks can take disinformation from Russia to use against American citizens, falsify Court applications for warrants, leak classified information and lie to Congress and yet still be walking around free. Its a hard question to answer, isnt it.

 

Such gifted kids ????

[Matzzon]

16 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

 

Such gifted kids ????

I guess that´s up to how you raise them. Looking at you ignorant answer and the laugh after, just show you do not have a clue about that. My guess is that it goes back in generation from your childhood too. I am sorry to hear that. 

[JHolmesJr]

7 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

I guess that´s up to how you raise them. Looking at you ignorant answer and the laugh after, just show you do not have a clue about that. My guess is that it goes back in generation from your childhood too. I am sorry to hear that. 

 

I know what its like to be 7 years old...stop channeling your own bias through a fictitious conversation

with a 7 year old kid.

[Matzzon]

2 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

I know what its like to be 7 years old...stop channeling your own bias through a fictitious conversation

with a 7 year old kid.

I am sure you know. The question is how much you knew at that age. If same like it looks now, not so very much. ????

 

Oh, by the way. She´s getting eight in April. Does that make a difference? Oh, nevermind! I can clearly read that I am asking the wrong person by looking at the name of your handle. ????????

Edited February 12, 2020 by Matzzon

[JHolmesJr]

15 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

The question is how much you knew at that age.

 

Nothing....and that's precisely the point.

 

You've gone overboard in your hyperbole, 7 year olds dont' say stuff like this, try again ????

 

"Even my 7 year old daughter have already asked me why so many persons around and associated with Mr. Trump gets prosecuted and receive jail terms, and he still walks free and untouched?"