Aaron Zelinsky, who had been a prosecutor in the special counsel's office, has moved to withdraw from Roger Stone's case. 
The notice doesn't give a reason - it cites to a local court rule that requires the U.S. government to designate a DOJ attorney who will appear on behalf of the government. Zelinsky signed the withdraw notice.
Gotta read the footnotes. Zelinsky, the former Mueller prosecutor still helping with the Stone case, resigned from DOJ "effective immediately."
New: Another prosecutor in Roger Stone's case has withdrawn after DOJ said it was reconsidering its sentencing recommendation. Jonathan Kravis "has resigned as an Assistant United States Attorney and therefore no longer represents the government in this case."
This is extraordinarily unusual.
Zelinsky declined to comment on his withdrawal.
And a third prosecutor has withdrawn from Stone's case.
DOJ's new sentencing memo for Roger Stone is signed only by the acting chief of the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C., who presumably would have been in a position to review the memo filed yesterday.
DOJ's new sentencing filing on Roger Stone is .... strange.
It maintains that its earlier guideline calculation, of 7 to 9 years, was correct. But it says that "could be considered excessive and unwarranted." And then it just "defers to the Court" about what to do.
It maintains that its earlier guideline calculation, of 7 to 9 years, was correct. But it says that "could be considered excessive and unwarranted." And then it just "defers to the Court" about what to do.
A certain U.S. district judge might have questions about this.
