You know things are bad when every single one of the DOJ prosecutors working the Roger Stone case resigns due to Donald Trump’s meddling — but that’s exactly what happened.
Politics
Aaron Zelinsky, Jonathan Kravis, Adam Jed, and Michael Marando — who are career officials and not political/partisan appointees — each handed in their resignations after Donald Trump intervened and convinced his flunkie, Attorney General William Barr, to override the sentencing suggestions for Trump’s crooked confidant, Roger Stone.
.
The DOJ prosecutors recommended a sentence of 7 to 9 years after securing a conviction against Stone last November that proved he made false statements, obstructed justice, and tampered with witnesses in relation to the Russia scandal and Robert Mueller investigation. However, Donald Trump rode in on a white horse at the 11th hour and saved his buddy Stone from what he considered to be an “unfair” sentence.
.
Who are the four prosecutors (Mueller people?) who cut and ran after being exposed for recommending a ridiculous 9 year prison sentence to a man that got caught up in an investigation that was illegal, the Mueller Scam, and shouldn’t ever even have started? 13 Angry Democrats?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2020
.
“This is a horrible and very unfair situation,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday and only a day after the court’s sentencing recommendation. “The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!”
.
This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! https://t.co/rHPfYX6Vbv
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2020
.
Trump’s tweet was all it took for the Bill Barr-led Department of Justice to override the recommendations of its own DOJ prosecutors and go easy on Roger Stone.
“Congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought,” Trump tweeted with glee on Wednesday, prompting the 4 DOJ prosecutors to step down.
Now, congressional Democrats are calling for an emergency hearing to investigate the reduced sentence and obstruction of justice by Trump that was enough for 4 nonpartisan career DOJ prosecutors to quit and walk away from their life’s profession in protest.
.
By tweet @realDonaldTrump engaged in political interference in the sentencing of Roger Stone. It is outrageous that DOJ has deeply damaged the rule of law by withdrawing its recommendation. Stepping down of prosecutors should be commended & actions of DOJ should be investigated.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 12, 2020
.
The Roger Stone intervention by Trump is only 1 in a series of democracy-killing moves ‘The Donald’ has made since the US Senate acquitted him and allowed him to remain in the Oval Office.
You may remember that Trump removed Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (who testified against Trump during the House Ukraine scandal hearings) from his post on the National Security Council, then called for the military to begin disciplinary hearings against the Lt. Colonel. Trump also fired Vindman’s twin brother from his NSC post, even though he had nothing to do with any of the impeachment proceedings.
Trump then fired EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland, another key impeachment witness. Additionally, he personally ordered the nomination of former US Attorney Jessie Liu to be the Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial to be withdrawn. Interestingly, Liu was responsible for supervising the prosecution of Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, and Paul Manafort.
GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine suggested Donald Trump had “learned his lesson” from his impeachment by the US House of Representatives. However, King Trump has only been emboldened by his Senate acquittal and is out to destroy democracy with his dictator tendencies.
