On Friday, Donald Trump commuted the sentence of longtime advisor and Batman villain Roger Stone. Stone was convicted last November on seven counts, including lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing the House investigation into Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election. Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison.
BREAKING: President Trump has granted clemency to Roger Stone, per @PressSec. pic.twitter.com/LghMygwsst
— Anders Hagstrom (@Hagstrom_Anders) July 10, 2020
But the longtime GOP advisor walks free thanks to our corrupt president. Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany released a statement which read, “Roger 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, … There was never any collusion between the Trump Campaign, or the Trump Administration, with Russia.” She added, “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!”
Trump’s move comes after Stone’s attempt to delay his sentence, which was rejected by the court. Stone, who carries many of Trump’s secrets, likely used his silence as a bargaining chip to gain his own release. He also had allies appearing regularly on Fox News to boost his exoneration. Stone’s case was also tampered with by Attorney General Bill Barr, who publicly complained about the length of Stone’s sentence, which was originally expected to range from 7 to 9 years.
The Justice Department got further involved with the sentencing, which resulted in all four federal prosecutors resigning in protest. At the time, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation into the reduced sentencing recommendation, saying “The American people must have confidence that justice in this country is dispensed impartially, … That confidence cannot be sustained if the president or his political appointees are permitted to interfere in prosecution and sentencing recommendations in order to protect their friends and associates.”
In response to Trump commuting Stone’s sentence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “President Trump’s decision to commute the sentence of top campaign advisor Roger Stone, who could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct, is an act of staggering corruption.” She promised that Congress will work to “prevent this type of brazen wrongdoing” and draft legislation to “ensure that no President can pardon or commute the sentence of an individual who is engaged in a cover-up campaign to shield that President from criminal prosecution.”
Many politicians and pundits took to social media to express their dismay at Trump’s flagrant cronyism and corruption:
Commuting Roger Stone’s sentence is a terrible blow to justice and the rule of law.
Through this act, Trump is saying: “If you lie for me, if you cover up for me, if you obstruct for me, I will protect you.”
Another tragic day for American democracy. pic.twitter.com/kgIXpc6HdG
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) July 11, 2020
Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) July 11, 2020
He will not be shamed.
He will only be stopped when Americans make their voice heard at the ballot box this fall.
Enough.
— Bill Russo (@BillR) July 11, 2020
My cousin TJ was arrested and put in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. He nearly lost it all, and ultimately was murdered.
Trump and Roger Stone brazenly break laws, and merely prepare for their next golf outing.
No one is above the law, and no one should be below it.
— Charles Booker (@Booker4KY) July 11, 2020
President Trump’s decision to commute the sentence of top campaign advisor Roger Stone, who could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct, is an act of staggering corruption. https://t.co/Ljqu2E71zs
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 11, 2020
Still true. https://t.co/3zbAD3uXzq
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 11, 2020
In March, I sent a letter to The Occupant of the @WhiteHouse demanding he grant clemency to save the lives of our most medically vulnerable incarcerated men and women.
He’s ignored it but found time to commute the sentence of his corrupt associate.
Despicable.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) July 11, 2020
(via CNN, image: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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