‘Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and, in my opinion, should be thrown out…’
Update: NBC News reported late Friday that Trump had formally commuted Roger Stone’s sentence.
Original story below:
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) President Donald Trump hinted on Friday that he is “looking at” pardoning conservative impresario Roger Stone as early as Friday evening.
As one of the final acts of the Mueller special counsel investigation into Russian collusion, Stone, a former Trump campaign adviser, was indicted on charges of lying to Congress and witness tampering.
He was convicted last year after a dramatic televised arrest and defiant show in the courtroom.
He was scheduled to report to prison next week, but Trump suggested to reporters that he might intervene.
“Well, I’ll be looking at it,” Trump said. “I think Roger Stone was very unfairly treated, as were many people.”
Trump made a similar comment earlier this week when radio host Howie Carr told Trump that Stone was “praying” for a pardon.
“If you say he’s praying, his prayer may be answered,” Trump said. “Let’s see what happens.”
And in another interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity, Trump said he’s “always thinking” about whether to pardon or commute Stone, who was “treated so badly” by federal prosecutors despite being a “good person,” Trump added.
This isn’t the first time Trump has come to Stone’s aid. During Stone’s trial, Trump publicly asked the court to “throw out” Stone’s conviction after learning the the jury forewoman was a former Democratic candidate for Congress who regularly posted anti-Trump messages on social media.
“Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and, in my opinion, should be thrown out,” Trump said.
Attorney General William Barr also intervened during Stone’s sentencing, reversing the original excessive sentence of between seven to nine years to a less harsh punishment.
Barr denied that Trump’s comments influenced his decision, and said that he had not been asked by Trump to look into the case.
