DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus DOJ announces reversal in Roger Stone sentencing recommendation after Trump tweet

The Department of Justice will reverse course Tuesday on its sentencing recommendation for President Donald Trump's longtime friend and former campaign adviser Roger Stone, a senior DOJ official said, only hours after Trump himself reacted to the recommendation by calling it a "miscarriage of justice."

Federal prosecutors told a federal judge on Monday that Stone should be sentenced to serve seven to nine years in prison after jurors found him guilty last November on all seven counts brought against him by former special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his investigation into Russian election interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The charges, brought against Stone in January 2019, included five counts of lying to Congress, one count each of witness tampering and obstruction of a proceeding.

The official insisted that senior leadership of the department were not kept in the loop on the recommendation that federal prosecutors put forward in court Monday evening.

"The department was shocked to see the sentencing recommendation,” the official, who requested anonymity to speak about the department's internal deliberations, said. “This was not what had been briefed to the department and the department thinks the recommendation was extreme, excessive and grossly disproportionate to Stone’s offenses and the department will clarify its position later today at the court.”

DOJ spokesperson Kerri Kupec told reporters that the decision by department leadership to reverse course on the recommendation for Stone’s sentencing length came before the president’s tweet. Kupec declined to provide further specifics on the discussions or which members of leadership were involved.

Trump reacted to the initial Stone filing just after midnight in a tweet.

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

It was not immediately clear what "crimes" the president was referring to "on the other side."

Kupec also said there was no contact between the White House and Justice Department leadership regarding the Monday evening's filing prior to the decision made to reverse course.

In response to DOJ’s sentencing recommendation change, Roger Stone attorney Grant Smith told ABC News, “Our sentencing memo stated our position on the recommendation made yesterday by the government. We look forward to reviewing the government’s supplemental filing.”

In court papers filed on Monday, the prosecutors outlined in detail their case from Stone's trial, highlighting each count against him and citing the incidents that led to Judge Amy Berman Jackson gradually issuing stricter gag orders against Stone in the months leading up to his trial.

The charges filed against him revolved around Stone's sworn testimony in September 2017 before the House Intelligence Committee. Specifically, Stone was found guilty of lying to Congress about conversations he had about hacked material published by WikiLeaks that Russian military hackers allegedly stole from the Democratic National Committee and then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta. Stone was also charged with witness tampering by urging his former associate, Randy Credico, to exercise his Fifth Amendment rights before the committee.

"Stone knew the gravity of the House Intelligence Committee's investigation when he obstructed it by giving false testimony and tampering with a witness," government lawyers wrote in their sentencing memo filed Monday. "Indeed, Stone acknowledged as much in his opening statement before the Committee. Stone chose -- consciously, repeatedly, and flagrantly -- to obstruct and interfere with the search for the truth on an issue of vital importance to all Americans."

Prosecutors later added, "Roger Stone obstructed Congress's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, lied under oath, and tampered with a witness. And when his crimes were revealed by the indictment in this case, he displayed contempt for this Court and the rule of law. For that, he should be punished in accord with the advisory Guidelines." The guidelines range for Stone's sentencing is 87-108 months in prison, or seven to nine years.

In response, Stone’s lawyers disputed the sentencing guidelines outlined by federal prosecutors in the defense's sentencing memo filed late Monday night, arguing Stone's convicted offenses do not warrant the high sentencing range of seven to nine years in prison that the government is recommending.

After presenting their argument against the prosecution’s proposed sentencing guidelines, Stone’s attorneys wrote to Judge Jackson, "It is respectfully submitted that the Court should impose a non-Guidelines sentence of probation with any conditions that the Court deems reasonable under the circumstances."

Jackson is scheduled to sentence Stone on Feb. 20.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/prosecutors-roger-stone-sentenced-years-prison/story?id=68893294

Over Zealous Lib Prosecutors are being called to task.

I see Mike Flynn is walking around too, for some of the same reasons.

And Carter Page is suing the DNC over FISA abuses while FBI director Wray admits, "Yes, surveillance of Carter Page was illegal."

Truth and Justice are breaking out all over America!

Trump attempts to circumvent justice by giving those who are a part of his criminal enterprise a break.

Only inside your hate bubble world.

How many convictions does it take to be a criminal enterprise? I think seven is enough.

i mean one could make a solid argument......

I thought about adding "Bull_Dawg agrees."

just saying bro.

if you look at our country's history objectively....i meaaaannn......

Hahahaha

And the Trump stooges thinks this is great

Hahahahahaha you can't make this stuff up, and you cant imagine the way Trump supporters follow without ever engaging their brains

I keep saying, Barr is as dangerous or worse than Trump himself. He's like an even more evil Dick Cheney

Yea, 9 years for crimes committed against the Russia Collusion Hoax.

Overzealous Prosecution.

All four prosecutors overseeing the US government's case against the longtime GOP strategist Roger Stone withdrew themselves from the case Tuesday after senior DOJ officials publicly overruled their sentencing recommendation for Stone

Yes, they resigned in a Liberal Snowflake hissy fit that would set your hair on fire!

Wow, y’all are cheering criminals on?

Basket of deplorables. Sad.

Dude ... u hear that sucking sound ... fish can u hear the sucking sound ...

Must be the drainage from the swamp ....

Justice in America has been suspended for the duration of the Trump era. We are now a third world dictatorship with populists dictatorial justice where laws/rules change for individuals based on loyalty to the dictator.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I can hear it...

Oh look, fish is posting images with the racist frog in it.

But watch him tell us he isn’t racist.

Swish, you've known me as long as the old board, you know that isn't true!

You should know all about Hate Bubbles,,, you live in one as a Trump supporter

Seriously this just shows you how messed up some people are. Roger Stone convicted on all counts. And here they are cheering on the attorney general interfering with the prosecution and their recommendation for sentencing. Something that's never been done before. The reason why it's been done this time is because Roger Stone is Trump's buddy and because Trump threw a little hissy fit... And because Barr is Trump's henchmen willing to do anything.

Just like the impeachment trial, what the Trump supporters fail to realize is all they've done is set a new very low bar and precadent. Yay ... Murica

Tucker responds to Elizabeth Warren's slams on Roger Stone: She wants him to 'die in prison'


By Charles Creitz | Fox News



Tucker: Left wants Roger Stone to die in prison

Stone facing nine years in prison.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., took aim at longtime Republican political consultant Roger Stone during her remarks to supporters following her disappointing finish in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday.

"The Trump Justice Department that abandons the rule of law to give sweetheart deals to criminals who commit their crimes on behalf of Donald Trump," she said in part.

"And yes, Roger Stone, I am looking at you," she said, pointing at the camera to loud cheers from her supporters.

All four federal prosecutors who made the case against Stone withdrew Tuesday, with one of them, Jonathan Kravis, resigning as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. They had recommended a sentence of between 87 and 108 months in prison for Stone in documents filed Monday evening.

However, a senior DOJ official told Fox News Tuesday morning that the department would change the sentencing recommendation, which the official described as "extreme, excessive and grossly disproportionate to Mr. Stone's offenses."

President Trump had tweeted about the sentencing recommendation early Tuesday, saying: "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!”



The government said in its amended filing in Stone's case that, while it was "technically" possible to argue that Stone deserved the severe federal sentencing enhancement for threatening physical harm to a witness, such a move would violate the spirit of the federal guidelines. It would place Stone in a category of the guidelines that "typically applies in cases involving violent offenses, such as armed robbery, not obstruction cases," the government argued, noting that Stone's "advanced age, health, personal circumstances, and lack of criminal history" also counseled against the harsh penalty.

On Tuesday's "Tucker Carlson Tonight," host Tucker Carlson blasted Warren's comments, saying the sentence initially recommended is worse than what some rapists and other violent felons often serve.

"That is Elizabeth Warren failing and bitter in New Hampshire, and like many on the left howling for Roger Stone to die in prison -- a 67-year-old man with no criminal record caught up in the Russia hoax farce -- caught up in an investigation that proved to be fruitless, he's looking at nine years behind bars," Carlson said.



"The left, CNN as well, is demanding that Roger Stone die in prison."


https://www.foxnews.com/media/roger-stone-slammed-by-elizabeth-warren-tucker-carlson-responds

I know I just wanted a reaction cause I’m bored.

The only reason he was even charged much less convicted was cause he was trumps buddy ... its really sad what happened here to our fellow Americans ... I’m no fan of stone or manafort but what happened to them and Flynn is brutal ...

The FBI agents who interviewed Flynn said he didn’t lie ... then the higher ups decide squeezing him to roll on trump was a good idea so they decided he lied ... juxtapose that with Hillary’s peeps destroying phones, computers and other communication devices AFTER HAVING THOSE DEVICES SUBPOENAED and not one of them even glanced at ... no double standard there ...

And y’all got TDS so bad u wanna whine about this ...

And lets not forget when Loretta “lying dog” Lynch met on a tarmac with epstiens buddy right before her decision came out ... nuttin wrong with that ... ...

Well i played along much bettor than he did ... *LOL* ..

Where in there does it say anybody wants him to die in prison? Seems to me they are putting words in her mouth. Or did I miss it?

Stone is 67 years old with a clean record.
Locking him up for 9 years is most likely a death sentence.

Trump lets ladies sentenced to 30 years for pot out of prison.
Trump doesn't lock up a 67 year old with a clean record for life.

Especially when convicted over the Democrat lie of Russian Collusion!

Truth and Justice are breaking out all over America!

I'll be 68 later this month,, does that mean I can get a lighter sentence so I don't die in prison just because I'm older?

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

*insert Trump-linked creeper didn't kill himself meme*

If Stone was an illegal alien, he never even would have been charged.

Chew on that for awhile.

Yep, he'd be locked in an overcrowded cage at the border and be allowed to die in custody. And he would definitely be permanently separated from his daddy. Or he'd be sent back to his hood where the death threats could be carried out... just saying.

...if money grew on trees, we'd all be rich and wouldn't have to worry about global warming.


Anyone can post a pointless hypothetical.

Your right,But those same officials that walked out should have quit when they arrested Stone at 5am with automatic weapons and a swat team like he as a dangerous criminal ...Oh but that was for the Liberal press and their deep state Barry appointed criminals ….they impeached the wrong PRES IMO.

j/c

Stone faced up to 50 years. He faced a jury of his peers which convicted him of all charges against him. That's how the justice system is supposed to work if someone is guilty.

The prosecutors asked for less than one fifth of thew maximum sentence. That was reasonable.

Now it appears the Trumpians think that juries and crime doesn't matter unless it applies to illegal immigrants.

Or witnesses and liberal.

How about a compromise?

You guys continue to ignore the laws you don't agree with and we guys will ignore the laws we don't like.

How about we honor the decision of a jury and the prosecutors.

How about Trumpians go back to their caves and let the 70+ percent of Americans that despise everything the Trump admin does get things back to normal. Except for the crooks, they go to jail.

I'd prefer a new normal.

I could do with seeing fewer Trumpets, too, though.