'A free man': Trump commutes longtime adviser Roger Stone's prison sentence

[rooster59]

'A free man': Trump commutes longtime adviser Roger Stone's prison sentence

By Sarah N. Lynch, Steve Holland and Eric Beech

 

Roger Stone, a longtime friend and adviser of U.S. President Donald Trump, reacts after Trump commuted his federal prison sentence, outside his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. July 10, 2020. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of his longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone on Friday, sparing him from prison after he was convicted of lying under oath to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

 

Trump's decision to commute Stone's sentence days before he was due to report to prison marked the Republican president's most assertive intervention to protect an associate in a criminal case and his latest use of executive clemency to benefit an ally. Democrats condemned Trump's action as an assault on the rule of law.

 

"Roger Stone has already suffered greatly," the White House said in a statement. "He was treated very unfairly, as were many others in this case. Roger Stone is now a free man!"

 

The veteran Republican political operative's friendship with Trump dates back decades. Stone, 67, was scheduled to report by Tuesday to a federal prison in Jesup, Georgia, to begin serving a sentence of three years and four months.

 

Trump, seeking re-election on Nov. 3, opted to give Stone a commutation, which does not erase a criminal conviction, rather than a full pardon.

 

Stone emerged from his Fort Lauderdale, Florida home wearing a mask with the words "Free Roger Stone."

 

"This is a horrific, horrific nightmare when you realize that this investigation never had any legitimate or lawful beginning, it was a witch hunt," Stone said using some of the same words Trump has hurled at prosecutors and Democrats who investigated Moscow's role in the 2016 U.S. election.

 

Stone was among several Trump associates charged with crimes in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that documented Russian interference to boost Trump's 2016 candidacy.

 

The White House, in its statement, criticized Mueller's investigation and the prosecutors in Stone's case. The White House said Stone is a "victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency."

 

Mueller's investigation found extensive contacts between Trump's campaign and Russians.

 

Congressional Democrats and other critics have accused Trump of undermining the rule of law by publicly complaining about criminal cases against associates including Stone, former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

 

House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said: "With this commutation, Trump makes clear that there are two systems of justice in America: one for his criminal friends, and one for everyone else."

 

The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, added: "The United States was founded on the rule of law. It seems our president has nothing but contempt for it."

 

Bill Russo, a spokesman for Trump's Democratic election opponent Joe Biden, accused the president of abusing his power "as he lays waste to the norms and the values that make our country a shining beacon to the rest of the world."

 

GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS

 

A Washington jury in November 2019 convicted Stone on all seven criminal counts of obstruction of a congressional investigation, five counts of making false statements to Congress and tampering with a witness.

 

Trump repeatedly lashed out on Twitter about Stone's case, accusing prosecutors of being corrupt, the juror forewoman of political bias and the judge of treating his friend unfairly.

 

Attorney General William Barr earlier intervened in the case to scale back the Justice Department's sentencing recommendation, leading four career prosecutors to quit the proceedings.

 

One of them, Aaron Zelinsky, told lawmakers on June 24 that his supervisor in the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington was told to go easy on Stone for political reasons.

 

Stone was convicted for lying to the House Intelligence Committee about his attempts to contact WikiLeaks, the website that released damaging emails about Trump's 2016 Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton that U.S. intelligence officials have concluded were stolen by Russian hackers.

 

The U.S. Constitution gives a president the "power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." Trump's use of this executive clemency often has benefited allies and well-connected political figures.

 

He pardoned hardline former Arizona county sheriff Joe Arpaio, former Republican White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby, conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza and convicted "junk bond king" Michael Milken. He also commuted the prison sentence of Democratic former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who had been a contestant on Trump's former reality TV show.

 

Stone has been a fixture in American partisan battles dating to the 1970s. A colorful figure known for his natty attire, he has labeled himself an "agent provocateur" and famously has the face of former President Richard Nixon tattooed on his back.

 

Former Trump aide Sam Nunberg, a Republican political consultant and associate of Stone, said, "No one is not voting for President Trump because he commuted Roger. In fact, the president protected his right flank with the commutation."

 

Barr has also sought to dismiss the charges against Flynn. And Barr last month fired a Manhattan-based federal prosecutor whose office had charged Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen and was pursuing an investigation that could ensnare Trump's current attorney Rudolph Giuliani.

 

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Steve Holland and Eric Beech; additional reporting by Mark Hosenball and Nathan Layne; Editing by Will Dunham, Sonya Hepinstall and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-11

 

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[dundee48]

Thank you Mr.President for righting  this corrupt abuse of power.

The liberals won`t like this.

Liberals are so funny.

[candide]

A crook is helping his crooked friend! Nothing surprising about it!

 

At least, Stone is smart enough to wear a mask! ????

[dundee48]

liberals come up with the best answers.Orange man bad,everyone that knows the orange man bad as well.

At least Stone is smart enough to wear a mask,what does that even mean?

[Jingthing]

"Liberals" like founding father James Madison just couldn't imagine that Americans would ever elect a president as massively corrupt as 45. Oh well! That's what we got. It must be removed.

 

On presidential pardoning power  -- 

Quote

“There is one security in this case, if the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds to believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him.”

 

[Jingthing]

33 minutes ago, candide said:

A crook is helping his crooked friend! Nothing surprising about it!

 

At least, Stone is smart enough to wear a mask! ????

Yes especially considering that Stone signaled that if he wasn't helped by this corrupt president that he would sing like a canary and spill the dirt on him. 

[timendres]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

"Liberals" like founding father James Madison just couldn't imagine that Americans would ever elect a president as massively corrupt as 45. Oh well! That's what we got. It must be removed.

Oh, I think they imagined it quite well.

Hence the document they drafted to create the separation of powers.

[candide]

26 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes especially considering that Stone signaled that if he wasn't helped by this corrupt president that he would sing like a canary and spill the dirt on him. 

Maybe. However Stone's word would have little credibility with anyone.

[Peabody]

Interesting his sentence was commuted. He was not pardoned. He is still guilty.

Pardoning would have meant that he could be made to testify in court without fifth amendment claims (right to not self-incriminate).

[Tug]

3 hours ago, dundee48 said:

Thank you Mr.President for righting  this corrupt abuse of power.

The liberals won`t like this.

Liberals are so funny.

What does liberal or conservative have to do with this?this man was convicted on 7 felonies in a court of law trump did this for 2 reasons he needs a distraction from the fact that he bears a lot of responsibility for getting more Americans killed than we lost in ww1 and another raw wound his failure to react to Putin’s putting a bounty on dead American servicemen and women that’s just in the last 2 weeks or so and doesent want him squeeling on his russan help in 2016 this is imo just another corruption of the institutions that make America strong he’s gotta go ASAP and he will kicking and screaming I perdict come early January 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Tug

[Chomper Higgot]

Mitt Romney has nailed this perfectly:

 

“Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president,” 

 

This corruption isn’t something that only offends ‘Liberals’ it offends people across the political spectrum, but predictably is supported by Trump’s dwindling base who, as we see are more concerned with ‘trolling’ Liberals than they are with the rule of law.

 

This corruption could only be worse if Stone had publicly made thinly veiled threats demanding a commutation prior to immediately receiving what what he demanded.

 

Moreover, it is not the one thing Trump desperately needs, ‘a vote winner’, he’ll not gain a single vote for this and undoubtedly will lose many.

 

There is however a silver lining, Trump’s swift action to do as Stone’s threats demanded tell anyone interested that Stone has ‘the goods’ on Trump.

 

 November can’t come soon enough.

 

[Thailand]

As mentioned he really must have the goods on Trump and the tell all book deals,tv appearances, no doubt upcoming should be something else.

 

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Thailand

[Jingthing]

The esteemed and famous Lincoln Project, notably a group of republicans that ironically produces much more aggressive messaging than the democrats, is out with a response to the Stone news. 

 

 

[Peabody]

I'm predicting that Stone will be re-indicted on new charges, like perjury when he said he was guilty and then claiming he wasn't really, as soon as the door hits Twitler's ass on the way out.

 

[Tug]

16 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

The esteemed and famous Lincoln Project, notably a group of republicans that ironically produces much more aggressive messaging than the democrats, is out with a response to the Stone news. 

 

 

You gotta love that Lincoln project it’s good to know there are still real republicans real Americans who see trump for what he is and are extending their hand across the partisan divide god bless them 

Edited July 12, 2020 by Tug

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Mitt Romney has nailed this perfectly:

 

“Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president,” 

 

This corruption isn’t something that only offends ‘Liberals’ it offends people across the political spectrum, but predictably is supported by Trump’s dwindling base who, as we see are more concerned with ‘trolling’ Liberals than they are with the rule of law.

 

This corruption could only be worse if Stone had publicly made thinly veiled threats demanding a commutation prior to immediately receiving what what he demanded.

 

Moreover, it is not the one thing Trump desperately needs, ‘a vote winner’, he’ll not gain a single vote for this and undoubtedly will lose many.

 

There is however a silver lining, Trump’s swift action to do as Stone’s threats demanded tell anyone interested that Stone has ‘the goods’ on Trump.

 

 November can’t come soon enough.

 

I don't think this will lose him votes.

 

Trump is clearly banking on his supporters, and they live this. And they will go out and vote, Trump is counting in his opponents not so much: no enthusiasm for Biden, they feel it is in the bank anyway so no need to go out and vote, etc 

That's his only hope, so anything he does is aimed at assuring his supporters.

[mtls2005]

Just now, stevenl said:

I don't think this will lose him votes.

 

Agreed.

 

In all honesty there's nothing he could do which would lose him votes.

 

The stone commutation just gets rolled into the "hoax" folder, into which all crimes, failures and viruses go.

 

 

 

 

[worgeordie]

America has hit a new low,under Trump,commuting a guilty mans

sentence,because he is a friend or more likely because he knows

too much bad stuff about Trump, guilty on 7 counts,but does not

even set a foot in jail to serve his sentence. God help America.

 

regards Worgeordie

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

4 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Possibly not a long wait until Obama and team are wearing jumpsuits and leg irons - can't come soon enough.

 

Hmm, So you're into "Birther-porn".

 

 

[Tug]

7 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

On what planet could this lose him votes? Obama and his admin spied illegally on Trump's election campaign - it is like Watergate on steroids, and the inane Stone charges of dotting the I's and crossing the T's was borne from the whole illegal deep state plot to not allow Trump to be President at any cost(spying, paying for BS dossiers to smear him, repeated hoaxes, leaked questions for the tv debate to Clinton etc etc etc). Note Steele's legal woes in the UK, and now Trump demanding his extradition to face charges things are getting real fast. Possibly not a long wait until Obama and team are wearing jumpsuits and leg irons - can't come soon enough.

I just gotta get some of those trump glasses haven’t experienced an alternate reality since the late 70s lol no sir old Donald is desperately trying his smear campaign as usual I don’t think he’s quite corrupted the Justice Department enough to pull that bs off even with billey Barr in his back pocket we see him for what he is he’s toast

Edited July 12, 2020 by Tug

[MJKT2014]

5 hours ago, dundee48 said:

At least Stone is smart enough to wear a mask,what does that even mean?

My take would be that the meaning is he's not a completely selfish person making politics of a common sense science the rest of the world understands like the person who set him free.

[Walker88]

The convicted felon stone fired a shot across the bow last week when he spoke of the fact "I could have turned on 45 but I protected him". stone has a history of singing when faced with punishment, as he---like 45 and his people---are ultimately abject cowards at their core. Clearly 45, who has been 'friends' with stone since the mid 1980s, both knew stone's history as well as what stone knows that could result in 45's criminal indictment.

 

Thus, only days before stone was to report to prison, 45 used the camouflage of Coward Hour on a Friday July night to further abuse and disgrace the office of the Presidency and issue a commutation.

 

Some charges against stone remain, however, and when Rule of Law returns to the US in January 2021, stone will again face conviction and imprisonment, and if his history is any guide, he will sing then and 45 will have to face the music.

 

Given the need to remind the American people and the world that everyone is equal under the law and no one is above it, it is likely that if convicted, 45 and his cohorts (family) will go to jail. There is precedent in developed countries for the jailing of a former leader, most notably in SOuth Korea, where at least two formers rulers were sent to prison for their crimes.

 

So it shall be in the United States.

[Jingthing]

45 isn't good for much at all. Indeed his presidency has been a disaster for the USA. But he is good for at least one thing. Just when you think he can't go any lower he never lets you down and he goes lower still. 

You can take that to the bank. 

American democracy can't survive a second term of this. 

 

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/07/11/roger-stone-prison-sentence-commuted-donald-trump-toobin-bharara-sot-ac360-vpx.cnn

[stevenl]

14 minutes ago, Tony M said:

Well, Google is where I found the info <snip>

You seem to know the details, and you haven't said that the "source" is wrong. <Snip>

Now if you let us know the source I'd be happy to let my light shine on it.

[robblok]

The US and Thailand.. i see more and more parallels. Corrupt leaders helping their criminal friends. How low can the once respected country of the free sink.  

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post has been removed. 

 

A post using a link to a site behind a paywall has been removed.

Edited July 12, 2020 by metisdead

[Yankeesvsredsox]

4 minutes ago, robblok said:

The US and Thailand.. i see more and more parallels. Corrupt leaders helping their criminal friends. How low can the once respected country of the free sink.  

It works both ways my friend . Try post#26

 

[ezzra]

Now do one better Mr. President and allow Jonathan Jay Pollard who is parole now to leave the US and go wherever he wants to go, after serving most of his 30 year sentence let the man go...

[Kelsall]

Any duly elected President has the power to pardon and commute sentences.  President Donald J. Trump exerised that power to right a wrong.

 

Thank you President Trump!

[Phoenix Rising]

As the honorable R. Muller (served with valor in Vietnam, did not run away from his duty like a coward) just reminded us:

 

"The jury ultimately convicted Stone of obstruction of a congressional investigation, five counts of making false statements to Congress and tampering with a witness. Because his sentence has been commuted, he will not go to prison. But his conviction stands."

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/11/politics/robert-mueller-defends-roger-stone-prosecution/index.html

 

A criminal pardoned by a criminal.