Donald Trump will have supported his friend Roger Stone throughout his trial, and the American president persists even after the verdict. His former adviser was sentenced on Thursday, February 20, to 3 years and 4 months in prison, or 40 months in prison, after being found guilty in November of lying to Congress. However, the White House tenant says his friend has "Good chances of being cleared", without saying more for the moment.
Last week, federal prosecutors investigating the case had demanded between 7 and 9 years in prison against the former adviser to the president. But Donald Trump had immediately denounced a " miscarriage of justice " and left doubts about a presidential amnesty for this 67-year-old consultant, known for his flamboyant style and his Richard Nixon tattoo on the back.
The following day, the Ministry of Justice had in turn judged the recommendation "Excessive" and suggested a sentence of between 3 and 4 years of detention. Disowned by their superiors, the four federal prosecutors had withdrawn from the case. The president’s reaction was quick: "Congratulations to the Minister of Justice Bill Barr for taking charge of a case completely out of control! "
The US Department of Justice has refrained from acting on a presidential instruction, but its recommendations for a sentence of between 3 and 4 years have been followed by federal judge Amy Jackson. "He has not been prosecuted, as some have denounced, for defending the president. He was prosecuted for covering the president ", she said after the sentencing, welcoming that "The truth exists and always matters".
William Barr accused of being "under the orders of the President"
The United States attorney general may have assured that the presidential comments had had no impact on the decision of his services, but he found himself under the fire of critics. In addition to the Democratic opposition, more than 2,200 former justice ministry officials called on him to resign, accusing him in an open letter of having granted a " preferential treatment " to Roger Stone and to be "Under the orders of the president".
On the defensive, William Barr insisted that Donald Trump, one of his strongest supporters, had not asked him to intervene. In a rare dissonant note, however, he asked the New York billionaire to avoid tweeting about court records, saying it made his job " impossible ". Lost sentence, the White House ensures that the president has the right "To comment on criminal cases" and that it does not come under "Interference".
And Donald Trump went on the charge, retweeting numerous comments relating to the troubles of others close to him with the justice or the origin of the Russian investigation, denouncing a lawsuit "Very unfair" for Roger Stone. Thursday morning, he tweeted again about the case, two hours before the sentence was known, for being upset about a lack of"Fairness".
Rumors of resignation denied by the ministry
Roger Stone, self-proclaimed expert on "Thickets", was found guilty of pressuring witnesses and lying to Congress about his contacts with the organization WikiLeaks, concerning democrat emails hacked during the 2016 presidential campaign. He claims he is innocent, that members of the jury were "Biased". He was not immediately incarcerated on Thursday after sentencing to Washington.
During his trial, he notably stood out by posting a photo of judge Amy Jackson next to a gun sight on Instagram. She had forbidden him to comment on his file publicly.
On Tuesday, the justice minister had, according to anonymous sources quoted by numerous American media, informed the entourage of the president that he could leave his post if these tweets were to continue. The ministry spokesperson, however, swept "Rumors" unfounded. "The minister has no intention of resigning", said Kerri Kupec.
