Refuses to Say if He’ll Issue Pardon
President Donald Trump made a startling Oval Office appeal attacking the judicial system , federal prosecutors, and their handling of the case of Roger Stone, Trump’s close friend, ally, confidant, and former campaign advisor.
“Nobody can even define what he did,” Trump lied, with the president of the Republic of Ecuador seated by his side.
“People were hurt, viciously and badly by these corrupt people,” Trump said, presumably of the four federal prosecutors who quit the case in silent protest against the DOJ Tuesday.
The DOJ, whom he thanked for reducing its sentencing recommendation, “saw the horribleness of a 9-year sentence for doing nothing,” Trump said about the Stone case and Stone’s criminal acts.
Stone was convicted by a jury on seven counts, including lying to Congress and witness tampering.
Trump has claimed he extorted Ukraine because he was worried about corruption in that country.
“You have murderers and drug addicts who don’t get nine years. Nine years for doing something that nobody can even define what he did – somebody said he put out a tweet,” Trump complained.
Stone is accused, among other acts, of threatening a judge via an Instagram post.
The First Lady has claimed to be waging a campaign against online bullying.
“We have killers, we have murderers all over the place, nothing happens, and then they put a man in jail and destroy his life, his family, his wife, his children.”
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