Thread by @lrozen

What I heard repeatedly was that Roger Stone was being treated differently from any other defendant because of his relationship to the President. I was told that the Acting US Atty for DC Timothy Shea was receiving heavy pressure from the highest levels of @TheJusticeDept

to cut Stone a break,& that the US Attorney’s sentencing instructions to us were based on political considerations. I was also told that the acting US Atty was giving Stone such unprecedentedly favorable treatment because he was “afraid of the President.”judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/…

“That explanation was deeply unsettling. Together with my fellow line Asst. US Attorneys, I immediately & repeatedly raised concerns, in writing & orally, that such political favoritism was wrong and contrary to legal ethics & Department policy.
Our objections were not heeded.

“When I learned that the Department was going to issue a new sentencing memo, I made the difficult decision to resign from the case and my temporary appointment in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. rather than be associated with the @TheJusticeDept actions at sentencing.”

“Beginning in spring 2016, Stone told senior Trump campaign officials that he had inside knowledge regarding WikiLeaks’s plans, and that he communicated with Julian Assange... As the summer wore on, the senior leadership found Stone’s predictions to be reliable.

“..The senior level of the Trump campaign began brainstorming a press strategy based in part on Stone’s predictions of a WikiLeaks release of documents that would be damaging to the Clinton campaign.

That summer, Stone reached out to both Manafort & Bannon, telling Manafort that Stone had a “plan to save Trump’s ass.” & in Aug. 2016, Stone told Bannon he knew how to “win but this ain’t pretty.” Bannon responded, “let’s talk ASAP.” ..

On Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, WikiLeaks began dumping...thousands of emails which the Russian govt had hacked from Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta’s personal email account. Minutes after WL began releasing hacked emails..Trump campaign CEO Bannon aide texted Stone, “well done”

“And that summer, Stone wasn’t just talking to the CEO, Chairman, and Deputy Chairman of the campaign. **He was talking directly to then-candidate Trump himself.***” The day 6/14/16 DNC announced was hacked by Russia gov, Stone called Trump.

& they spoke on Trump’s personal line. We don’t know what they said. On Aug. 2, Stone again called..Trump, & spoke for approximately 10 minutes...less than an hour after speaking with Trump, Stone emailed an associate..Jerome Corsi, to have someone..living in London “see Assange”

..on Aug.2, 2016, Corsi emailed Stone. Corsi told Stone that, “Word is friend in embassy [Assange] plans 2 more dumps. One “in October” & that “impact planned to be very damaging,” “time to let more than Podesta to be exposed as in bed w enemy if they are not ready to drop HRC.

“That appears to be the game hackers are now about."
Around this time, Dep. Campaign Chairman Gates continued to have conversations with Stone about more information that would be coming out from WikiLeaks. Gates was also present for a phone call between Stone and Trump.

..30 seconds after hanging up the phone with Stone, Trump told Gates that there would be more information coming. Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen also stated he was present for a phone call between Trump & Stone, where Stone told Trump that he had just gotten off the phone w/Assange

and in a couple of days WikiLeaks would release information, and Trump responded, “oh good, alright.” Paul Manafort also stated that he spoke with Trump about Stone’s predictions & his claimed access to WikiLeaks,& that Trump instructed Manafort to stay in touch with Stone.

“In his written answers to thr Spec. Counsel office, Pres. Trump denied remembering anything about his conversations with Stone during the summer of 2016, & he denied being aware that Stone had discussed WikiLeaks with anyone associated with the campaign.”

1 week after submitting his written answers, Trump criticized “flipping” witnesses & stated that Stone was “very brave” in indicating he would not cooperate with prosecutors. The Special Counsel’s Report stated that the President’s statements complimenting Stone

“support the inference that the President intended to communicate a message that witnesses could be rewarded for refusing to provide testimony adverse to the President[.]”

judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/…

Zelinsky above is documenting how Stone was closely coordinating with Trump, Trump campaign chair, dep. chr, & CEO on outreach to Wikileaks/Assange on material stolen by Russia Gov it had& wd release to damage Trump rival. Trump lied to Mueller about it, Stone lied to Cong abt it

Stone was found guilty at trial. But before his sentencing, Barr got rid of the US Attorney for DC & replaced her w/a former staffer, & put heavy pressure on his former staffer then acting US attorney to go easy on Stone because of Stone’s relationship with Trump, Zelinsky saying