Here's a thread about Trump advisor Roger Stone, and the remarkable scene today in federal court.
Stone was sentenced to over 3 yrs in prison for lying to Congress and witness tampering.
@newshour producer @AlexDEliaNews and I were in the courtroom this morning.
Stone was sentenced to over 3 yrs in prison for lying to Congress and witness tampering.
@newshour producer @AlexDEliaNews and I were in the courtroom this morning.
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews Judge Amy Berman Jackson was particularly harsh about Stone’s actions in this case, describing his “belligerence to the truth,” adding that “the dismay and disgust of the defendant’s belligerence should transcend party.” @newshour (2)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews “The truth still exists,” Judge Jackson said, staring directly at Stone, who chose to stand directly in front of the judge, flanked by his lawyers, as she explained her sentence. “Truth matters,” she said. @newshour (3)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews This sentencing comes amid a remarkable public fight between President Trump, Attorney General William Barr, and the Department of Justice over whether Roger Stone, a longtime Trump advisor and self-described “dirty trickster,” was being treated too harshly. @newshour (4)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews Stone was convicted in 2019 for trying to block a witness from testifying and for lying to the House Intel Cmte, which was probing whether the Trump campaign worked w/ Russia to interfere in the election (and the Wikileaks dump of DNC/Clinton campaign emails) @newshour (5)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews DOJ prosecutors originally suggested a 7-9 year sentence. After President Trump blasted that idea, calling it “horrible and very unfair,” Attorney General Barr made the highly unusual decision to overrule that suggestion, describing it as too harsh. (6)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews Barr later said he overruled his prosecutors based solely on the merits, and said the President never told him to go lighter on Stone. In an interview w/ABC, AG Barr went on to say that the President’s tweets made doing his job “impossible.” @newshour (7)
abcnews.go.com/Politics/barr-…
abcnews.go.com/Politics/barr-…
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews The four original DOJ prosecutors immediately resigned from the Stone case, in what many read as a protest over Barr’s move. (The prosecution’s table today had several empty chairs where these prosecutors would have normally been sitting.) @newshour (8)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews Judge Jackson pressed U.S. Attorney John Crabb (who represented the DOJ in court today) about this last-minute shake-up, asking: “Is there anything you would like to say about why you are standing there today?” @newshour (9)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews Jackson tried to get to the bottom of Barr’s move (which she called an “unprecedented intervention”) by pressing Crabb over who’d actually ordered/written the new memorandum.
Crabb was apologetic, but said he couldn't discuss internal Justice Department deliberations. (10)
Crabb was apologetic, but said he couldn't discuss internal Justice Department deliberations. (10)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews Throughout, Judge Jackson dismissed the idea, floated by some, that threatening a witness and lying to Congress were just part of Stone’s flamboyant style.
“This is not campaign hijinks,”she said.“This is not ‘Roger being Roger’... He lied to our elected representatives.” (11)
“This is not campaign hijinks,”she said.“This is not ‘Roger being Roger’... He lied to our elected representatives.” (11)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews The President weighed in today about the sentence, claiming hypocrisy about who goes to prison for alleged lying to Congress, and again accused his usual targets: former FBI Director James Comey, Hillary Clinton and former FBI official Andrew McCabe (12)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews Judge Jackson seemed to push back on the President’s many attacks, saying Stone was going to jail for real crimes, not for his politics.
She said Stone “was not prosecuted for standing up for the President -- he was prosecuted for covering up for the President.” @newshour (13)
She said Stone “was not prosecuted for standing up for the President -- he was prosecuted for covering up for the President.” @newshour (13)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews Even though Judge Jackson eventually decided on a LOWER sentence than originally suggested by prosecutors, she said that there was “nothing unfair, phony, or disgraceful about the investigation or the prosecution.” She said the original DOJ sentencing memo was sound. (14)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews Many of Roger Stone’s supporters in court today were visibly angry with his sentence. One prominent supporter was overheard saying “This is Russia. We’re Russia now.” @newshour #RogerStone (15)
@NewsHour @AlexDEliaNews After his sentence (which won’t begin until after a ruling on his push for a new trial), Stone left the courthouse silently, pressing through a phalanx of cameras. A handful of protestors traded chants of “Lock him up!” and “Pardon Roger Stone!” More on tonight’s @NewsHour. (16)
