Another day when the rule of law bends to the rule of Trump.
Executive time, 1:48 a.m.:
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
A few completely innocent, unconnected hours later:
The DOJ is changing its sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone, according to a Senior DOJ official.— Jake Gibson (@JakeBGibson) February 11, 2020
“The Department finds seven to nine years extreme, excessive and grossly disproportionate," the source said, adding the DOJ will clarify its position on sentencing later today
So,
Really interested to see if the AUSAs who signed the Stone sentencing recommendation sign onto the next version of it. In a functioning DOJ, the US attorney would resign over this.— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) February 11, 2020
Then, the Tuesday afternoon massacre:
Wow, Mueller prosecutor Zelinsky withdraws from the Stone case AND includes this footnote(!):— Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) February 11, 2020
"The Court is advised that the undersigned attorney has resigned effective immediately after this filing as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for District of Columbia" pic.twitter.com/TrNSo9qXeB
And,
And now Jonathan Kravis has quit entirely. https://t.co/jYsfe3hqiK pic.twitter.com/GObnJZgwTD— emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 11, 2020
And,
A 3rd prosecutor has stepped down from the Stone case. DOJ has filed a 5 page memo, contradicting its earlier memo. https://t.co/37cqx1f7nO— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) February 11, 2020
And,
BREAKING: following the example of his DOJ colleagues Michael Marando is now the fourth federal prosecutor to withdraw from the Roger Stone case. He gave the closing argument at trial in November urging the jury to remember that "truth still matters.” pic.twitter.com/jiwPT82AoA— Megan Mineiro (@MMineiro_CNS) February 11, 2020
Of course, there's the glaring, brazen reason for all of this:
Bill Barr Needs to Soften Roger Stone's Sentence to Prevent Him from Talkinghttps://t.co/HuVasp16LZ— emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 11, 2020
So, in conclusion,
If you're not alarmed by Barr's politicization of the Justice Department, you lack the imagination to foresee where things can lead if you let an operative weaponize a nation's top law enforcement agency in service to a political party that kneels before a corrupt authoritarian. https://t.co/f16BoEEMPO— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) February 11, 2020
Bill "Low" Barr is a corrupt, criminal AG, using his authority to put the fix in for a convicted Trump ratfucker and Russian asset. Full stop.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 20. We'll see if Judge Amy Jackson follows the DOJ's politicized gyrations or sentences Stone accordingly.
BONUS:
Where's the response from Susan Collins? Lisa Murkowski? Corey Gardner? Thom Tillis? Ron Johnson? Chuck Grassley? Lamar fucking Alexander? I want a reporter on them every time something breaks and a running scoreboard with their responses. pic.twitter.com/DSTJUEHF0Z— Katie (@ktbobaytee) February 11, 2020
