President Donald Trump on Friday commuted the 40-month prison sentence of seasoned Republican operative Roger Stone just days before his term was scheduled to commence, the White House announced.
A source familiar with the matter told Breitbart News that the president called Stone earlier Friday to tell him of his plans to commute his sentence. Stone confirmed to the Associated Press that President Trump called to say that he would commute his sentence that was part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into now-debunked collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. The Associated Press added: “Stone was celebrating in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with conservative friends and said he had to change rooms because there were “too many people opening bottles of Champagne here.”
John Cardillo, a political commentator and former NYPD officer, shared a photo of himself posing with Stone, tweeting: “Roger is feeling and looking better than he has in months, and wants you all to know how much he appreciates all the love and support.”
Roger is feeling and looking better than he has in months, and wants you all to know how much he appreciates all the love and support. pic.twitter.com/G8N5FauTo3
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) July 11, 2020
The White House issued the following statement on Stone’s commutation:
Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency. There was never any collusion between the Trump Campaign, or the Trump Administration, with Russia.
[…]
Mr. Stone would be put at serious medical risk in prison. He has appealed his conviction and is seeking a new trial. He maintains his innocence and has stated that he expects to be fully exonerated by the justice system. Mr. Stone, like every American, deserves a fair trial and every opportunity to vindicate himself before the courts. The President does not wish to interfere with his efforts to do so. At this time, however, and particularly in light of the egregious facts and circumstances surrounding his unfair prosecution, arrest, and trial, the President has determined to commute his sentence. Roger Stone has already suffered greatly. He was treated very unfairly, as were many others in this case. Roger Stone is now a free man!
Stone was convicted of making false statements during a 2017 testimony to the House Intelligence Committee regarding his relationship with WikiLeaks and witness tampering in a congressional investigation. He has been out on bail since his February sentencing. Though a commutation will mean no prison time for Stone, his conviction still stands.
“Mr. Stone is incredibly honored that President Trump used his awesome and unique power under the Constitution of the United States for this act of mercy,” an attorney for Stone told ABC News.
The development follows a Fox News report stating that President Trump could announce a commutation of Stone’s sentence on Friday evening.
Earlier Friday, the president told reporters that he was “looking at” pardoning Stone, stating that his longtime confidant was “very unfairly treated.”
In June, President Trump wrote on Twitter that Stone “was a victim of a corrupt and illegal Witch Hunt, one which will go down as the greatest political crime in history. He can sleep well at night!”
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