President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of his longtime ally Roger Stone
President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of a longtime ally, shielding the veteran Republican operative from almost four years behind bars.
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President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of his longtime ally Roger Stone, shielding the veteran Republican operative from 40 months behind bars.
“Roger Stone is now a free man!” the White House said in a statement, days before he was to report to a federal prison to start serving his term.
Stone, one of Trump’s oldest confidants, was convicted last November of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to help him win the 2016 election.
The White House statement reiterated Trump’s charge that Special Counsel Robert Mueller investigated an alleged crime that was never committed.
It argued that Stone should therefore never have been charged in the first place.
“The simple fact is that if the Special Counsel had not been pursuing an absolutely baseless investigation, Mr Stone would not be facing time in prison,” it said.
According to reports, President Trump called Stone to say his prison sentence would be commuted.
The commuting of his sentence doesn’t erase Stone’s conviction as a pardon would, but it does protect him from serving time in prison.
BREAKING: POTUS commutes Roger Stone's sentence.
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) July 10, 2020
From WH: "Roger Stone has already suffered greatly. He was treated very unfairly, as were many others in this case. Roger Stone is now a free man!"
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Stone was 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.”
Stone had previously appealed to President Trump for a pardon or commutation.
“What am I going to do now? I am going to work as hard as I can to make sure that Mike Flynn gets final justice,” Stone said according to AP.
“Mike Flynn is an American war hero and he’s done absolutely nothing wrong.”
In a statement provided to Fox News, Stone’s attorney Grant Smith said: “Mr. Stone is incredibly honoured that President Trump used his awesome and unique power under the Constitution of the United States for this act of mercy.”
McEnany slammed Mueller’s prosecutors over the arrest, noting he is a “67 year old man with numerous medical conditions, who had never been convicted of another crime, and that they used “dozens of FBI agents with automatic weapons and tactical equipment, armoured vehicles, and an amphibious unit to execute a pre-dawn raid of his home, where he was with his wife of many years.”
McEnany said Stone would “be put at serious medical risk in prison.”
“He has appealed his conviction and is seeking a new trial. He maintains his innocence and has stated that he expects to be fully exonerated by the justice system,” McEnany said.
“Mr. Stone, like every American, deserves a fair trial and every opportunity to vindicate himself before the courts.
“The President does not wish to interfere with his efforts to do so. At this time, however, and particularly in light of the egregious facts and circumstances surrounding his unfair prosecution, arrest, and trial, the President has determined to commute his sentence.”
Stone was due to report to prison on July 14 to serve 40 months.
The move, which has been predicted, angered Democrats including House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff who said it was “offensive to the rule of law and principles of justice”.
