President Donald Trump appeared on the cusp of taking decisive action to keep his longtime advisor Roger Stone out of jail Friday.
Fox news, which hosted Trump for a call-in interview Thursday night where he said he was considering a pardon for Trump, reported Friday that Trump was expected to provide executive clemency for Stone.
The move could come as soon as tonight, the network reported, when Trump is scheduled to fly back from Florida, where he is hosting a fundraiser and holding other events even as the state battles a coronavirus outbreak.
The move would prevent Stone from having to report to a Georgia prison on July 14. Stone’s lawyers have been fighting the start of the sentence, urging Amy Berman Jackson to delay it by citing the coronavirus and potential risks to Stone’s health.
Clemency is provided before someone starts serving their sentence. It also may not include the full benefits of a full pardon, which can involve the restoration of voting rights and protection from deportation.
Word of a potential Friday night action came hours after Trump told reporters he would soon be reviewing Stone’s case. Trump has repeatedly defended Stone, who was convicted of witness tampering and lying to Congress.
Trump commented on Stone’s case as he left the White House on a trip to Stone’s home state of Florida – as he suggested both his predecessor and his presumed Democratic challenger should be jailed over the Russia probe.
‘I’ll be looking at it. I think Roger Stone was very unfairly treated, as were many people,’ Trump said.
President Donald Trump may be on the verge of pardoning or commuting the sentence of Roger Stone, the longtime former Republican strategist who worked as an adviser on his presidential campaign. He said Friday he was ‘looking at’ the issue
‘And in the meantime Comey and all these guys are walking around – including Biden and Obama – because we caught them spying on my campaign. Who would have believed that one?’ Trump said.
Trump may have been referring to information about Barack Obama officials who ordered ‘unmasking’ of intercepts that were revealed to involve former national security advisor Mike Flynn – whose prosecution infuriated Trump.
He has repeatedly raged at former FBI Director James Comey for his role in the Russia probe.
Stone was prosecuted as an offshoot of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe – which Trump repeatedly has cast as a ‘witch hunt’ designed to take him down.
He tweeted last month 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!”
Trump’s comments added to other remarks in interviews Thursday indicating he may be on the verge of pardoning or commuting the sentence of Stone, the longtime former Republican strategist who worked as an adviser on his presidential campaign.
Stone’s lawyers have been seeking to overturn Judge Jackson’s order that he report to a federal correctional facility in Georgia by citing COVID-19 and health risks.
When quizzed by Fox News’ Sean Hannity Thursday night on whether he’s considering pardoning his friend and ally, Trump responded, ‘I am always thinking’.
‘You’ll be watching like everyone else in this case,’ Trump coyly added.
A jury convicted the former strategist of seven felony counts in November, which included five counts of making false statements to the FBI and congressional investigators, one count of witness tampering, and one obstruction of justice count
Trump lamented that Joe Biden (pictured) and Barack Obama were still ‘walking around’ rather than in jail
In a separate interview with radio host Howie Carr, the president condemned Stone’s ‘horrible’ treatment at the hands of law enforcement, and once again added he may grant his clemency plea.
‘He was framed. He was treated horrible. He was treated so badly,’ Trump said.
Amid claims Stone was ‘praying’ for a pardon before he’s due to report to prison on July 14, Trump said a divine intervention of sorts may not be totally out of the realms of possibility.
‘If you say he’s praying, his prayer may be answered,’ the president said during the phone interview. ‘Let’s see what happens.’
Trump went on to credit Stone as a ‘good persons’, and billing him as ‘a character’.
A jury convicted the former strategist of seven felony counts in November, which included five counts of making false statements to the FBI and congressional investigators, one count of witness tampering, and one obstruction of justice count.
According to prosecutors, Stone lied during testimony and failed to turn over documents to Congress in 2017, showing he had attempted to make contact with the radical pro-transparency group WikiLeaks a year earlier.
He lied about five facts, obscuring his attempt to use intermediaries to get information that could help then-candidate Trump in the election against Hillary Clinton.
Prosecutors were initially seeking a prison term of seven to nine years, but Attorney General William Barr later retracted that recommendation shortly after Trump called it ‘harsh’ and ‘unfair’ on Twitter.
Amid claims Stone was ‘praying’ for a pardon before he’s due to report to prison on July 14, Trump said a divine intervention of sorts may not be totally out of the realms of possibility
Stone lied during testimony and failed to turn over documents to Congress in 2017, showing he had attempted to make contact with the radical pro-transparency group WikiLeaks a year earlier
Four prosecutors then withdrew from the case in response to Barr’s decision. One of the prosecutors, Aaron Zelinsky, testified to Congress last month that DOJ leaders sought a weaker sentence for Stone at the direction of AG Barr because they were ‘afraid of the president.’
Stone was eventually sentenced by a judge to 40 months in prison for his crimes, in addition to a $20,000 fine, four years probation after his prison term, and 250 hours community service.
The developments in the case raised concerns regarding the DOJ’s independence from political pressure and prompted congressional Democrats to call for the Justice Department inspector general to investigate.
Barr, meanwhile, told ABC News that, regardless of Trump’s tweet, Stone had already decided to request a lighter sentence for Stone. He added that the president’s constant public commentary made it ‘impossible’ for him to do his job.
After US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson announced Stone’s sentence, Trump hinted at the possibility of a pardon a few hours later.
‘I’m following this very closely and I want to see it play out to its fullest because Roger has a very good chance of exoneration in my opinion,’ the president said. ‘I’d love to see it happen.’
But Trump stopped short of committing himself to pardoning Stone, saying, ‘I’m not going to do anything in terms of the great powers bestowed upon a president of the United States. I want the process to play out. I think that’s the best thing to do.’