Judge Sentences Roger Stone to 40 Months in Prison

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Roger Stone to three years and four months in prison after he was convicted of charges of obstruction of justice, lying to Congress, and witness tampering.

Before announcing the sentencing, Jackson ripped into Stone’s character, calling him an “insecure person who craves and recklessly pursues attention.”

Additionally, Jackson refuted claims that Stone was unfairly prosecuted, “He is not prosecuted for standing up for the president, he is prosecuted for covering up for the president.”

Jackson’s sentencing caps off a contentious few days regarding Stone’s sentencing. On Feb. 10, federal prosecutors recommended Stone receive seven to nine years in prison.

However, Justice Department officials stepped in to overrule the original prosecutors’ recommendation and suggest that Stone receive a lighter sentence. That led the prosecutors to resign allegedly in protest of the move.

Democrats cried foul, claiming that President Donald Trump had pressured Justice Department officials to recommend a lighter sentence. They pointed to a tweet Trump sent, before the Justice Department’s intervention, to voice his outrage over the severity of the sentencing.

However, Attorney General 👤William Barr said that Trump never told him to get involved in a criminal case. And he added that he was already considering recommending a shorter sentencing before Trump sent his tweet.

In an interview with ABC News, Barr said that Trump’s tweets “make it impossible for me to do my job.” He also said, “It’s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases.”

Other reports said that Barr was considering resigning because of the president’s tweets. But officials at the Justice Department denied that report.

However, it doesn’t seem that Trump was swayed by Barr’s comments about his tweeting habits.

As the sentencing commenced, Trump took to Twitter to voice his outrage that Stone was prosecuted, while at the same time, former officials at the Federal Bureau of Investigation — who were investigated for potential violations of the law — were spared prosecution.

Before the sentencing, Stone’s lawyers asked for a new trial, but Jackson said she would proceed with the sentencing as scheduled. However, she said she would delay the implementation until she ruled on the motion for a new trial.