The Trump White House issued the following statement on the subject: "Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Grant of Clemency commuting the unjust sentence of Roger Stone, Jr.
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. Such collusion was never anything other than a fantasy of partisans unable to accept the result of the 2016 election. The collusion delusion spawned endless and farcical investigations, conducted at great taxpayer expense, looking for evidence that did not exist. As it became clear that these witch hunts would never bear fruit, the Special Counsel’s Office resorted to process-based charges leveled at high-profile people in an attempt to manufacture the false impression of criminality lurking below the surface. These charges were the product of recklessness borne of frustration and malice." see the full statement here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-press-secretary-regarding-executive-grant-clemency-roger-stone-jr/
In other words, Roger Stone supported and perpetuated Donald Trump's narrative on Russian interference in the 2016 election. To be clear, U.S. intelligence has conclusively confirmed that Putin's Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election in support of its favorite candidate, Donald J. Trump. Moreover, Mueller's investigation confirmed that Trump and his allies welcomed and encouraged that interference. The investigation failed to demonstrate that the Trump campaign's activities rose to the level of collusion as defined by statutory law. And, the Mueller investigation demonstrated that Trump and his allies had actively sought to obstruct the investigation (which his Attorney General declined to pursue or turn over to Congress).
Hence, Trump's commutation of Stone's sentence (characterized by that same Attorney General as being fair) is a continuation of his efforts to obstruct justice and reward those who have aided/assisted him in that endeavor. The White House statement even noted that Roger Stone "is also well known for his outspoken support for President Donald J. Trump and opposition to Hillary Clinton." While the Mueller investigation was still ongoing, Trump signaled that he would reward those who remained loyal to him. Like most mob bosses, Trump demands absolute loyalty and silence from his minions. He abhors, excoriates and seeks vengeance on all who cross him and takes care of those who have to take one for the boss.
Fox News, fair and balanced? Take a look at these headlines regarding the Roger Stone commutation when I checked there website this morning:
ReplyDeleteRomney sides with Dems again, accuses Trump of ‘historic corruption’ after commuting sentence
Corey Lewandowski: Roger Stone's treatment should scare every American
Roger Stone says Trump may have saved his life with commute of sentence
HARMEET DHILLON: Roger Stone was victim of political prosecution, Trump was right
Gregg Jarrett: Commutation of Roger Stone sentence was a 'courageous move'
OCD - Mistakes of this nature drive me crazy: "I checked THEIR website this morning"
DeletePart of being human, but I still find it annoying - also that we can't correct comments
And, Trump's Twitter post from earlier this morning:
ReplyDelete"Roger Stone was targeted by an illegal Witch Hunt that never should have taken place. It is the other side that are criminals, including Biden and Obama, who spied on my campaign - AND GOT CAUGHT!'
Commentary sent to my private e-mail:
ReplyDelete"It's corrupt. What you might expect in countries where corruption is endemic, but so brazenly in the United States? Trump is utterly shameless. He tried to minimize this most recent example of total Trumpian turpitude by announcing his decision late on a Friday night, the time of the week that gets the least news coverage. He rewards liars and perjurers provided they lie and perjure themselves to defend him. That's the message he's sending. O tempora! O mores!"
Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?
ReplyDeleteNck
As long as he's in office!
DeleteI'll bet that off the top of your head you couldn't even tell me what Roger Stone is even guilty of. None of Stone's charges accused him of engaging in a criminal conspiracy with Russia or any other actors concerning election interference; instead, his offenses related to his statements concerning his contacts with WikiLeaks and others. There were so many things wrong with the prosecution's case. Former Memphis City Schools Board President Tomeka Hart who was the foreman of the jury outright lied about her bias and prejudice. Judge Amy Berman Jackson denied a request from Stone’s lawyers to strike another potential juror. That juror being a former Obama-era press secretary for the Office of Management and Budget and whose husband worked at the same Justice Department division that handled the probe leading to Stone's arrest. Jury bias alone has been granted a retrial many times through the court's history. I won't even dive into Credico's pleading the fifth and Corsi refusing to testify on Stone's behalf and giving exculpatory evidence. The original sentencing recommendation was basically telling the judge that only an extreme lengthy sentence would serve justice. That amended filing done by the DOJ says that there was a crime and that prison time would be appropiate, just not 7 to 9 years. Yet, none of the prosecutors gave an explicit rationale for their sudden resignations over the amended filing. Nine years for lying? That sounds extreme, excessive and grossly disproportionate to Mr. Stone’s offenses. Why would that be their line in the sand?, to resign over only a amended filing? Politics, plain and simple, but not from whom you think. For contrast, Anthony Weiner commited a serious felony with a child and served far less than his 21 month sentence. I'm sick of this shit! Let rational minds prevail. Roger Stone should have been granted a retrial. Trump took a political hit for doing that which is just.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I don't even like Roger Stone. I think he is a political hack.
DBP,
DeleteWhite collar crime is just as bad as blue collar crime (in some cases, much worse; because it impacts more people). Lying and obstruction of an investigation are serious offenses and deserve punishment. Even so, I agree with you that Anthony Weiner should have received a much harsher sentence than he received.
The DOJ's amended the prosecution's filing towards sentencing to be something more rational. Yet, the prosecutors threw a fit and resigned. To me, that is behaving irrationally over sentencing. They were making it political and forcing Trump to step in the already troublesome case. History and rational minds will study this case for years to come.
ReplyDeleteDBP and I share a love for Montesquieu.
ReplyDelete(of course Miller too)
I'm a radical regarding Trias Politica.
I pilgrimage all my heroes places, to keep them alive, kinda, from Robert E Lee's, place to MacArthur in Norfolk and Monticello. (or Timur Lenks, Chopin resting place etc) A couple of years ago I ate cake at the castle if Montesquieu, only to find out there was no relation.
So I leave options open that the available data to me might not be fully sufficient at times.
I don't like emotional behavior by magistrates. Emotions smell of politics.
Nck