Legal Experts Explode Over Donald Trump's Clemency For Roger Stone
Legal experts joined the cascade of criticism and anger being directed at Donald Trump on Friday after the president commuted the prison sentence of Roger Stone, his longtime adviser.
CNN’s chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin described Trump’s granting of clemency to Stone ― who was soon set to begin a 40-month sentence for lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election ― as “the most corrupt and cronyistic act in perhaps all of recent history.”
Disgraced former President “Richard Nixon at the height of Watergate never pardoned or commuted the sentences of any of the people involved in Watergate,” Toobin told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “He thought he could never get away with it.”
Check out the clip here:
"This is the most corrupt and cronyistic act, in perhaps all of recent history."
CNN legal analyst @JeffreyToobin reacts to President Trump commuting Roger Stone's prison sentencehttps://t.co/MdIbNVwfGq pic.twitter.com/2d6SzetfiE— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) July 11, 2020
“This is what corruption looks like,” former federal and state prosecutor Elie Honig told CNN’s Don Lemon. “This is just a raw abuse of power.”
Check out Honig’s comments here:
"This is what corruption looks like," says Elie Honig, a former DOJ prosecutor about President Trump commuting the 40-month prison sentence of his friend Roger Stone. "It's hard to think of a more perfect example of self-dealing than that." https://t.co/S5zvEy5hEP pic.twitter.com/5XEsC3gcdL
— CNN (@CNN) July 11, 2020
Attorney George Conway, who is married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, suggested there had never been “a more openly, brazenly corrupt act” committed by a president of the United States:
I’m not sure there ever has been a more openly, brazenly corrupt act committed by a president of the United States.
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) July 11, 2020
The fact that @realDonaldTrump was never impeached for his multiple acts of criminal obstruction shown by Mueller (see @qjurecic’s chart below), including acts relating to Stone, all but invited last night’s atrocious (and also criminal) act in commuting Stone’s sentence. https://t.co/j6yk7npGot
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) July 11, 2020
Joyce White Vance, a law professor at the University of Alabama, tweeted Trump had “undermined the rule of law & our justice system to try to avoid whatever tales Stone might have to tell on him.”
Prosecutors were “heartsick over this miscarriage of justice,” she said:
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12/ Roger Stone got a fair trial. AG Barr said the prosecution & sentence were warranted. Trump has undermined the rule of law & our justice system to try to avoid whatever tales Stone might have to tell on him. He will burn down our system to save himself.
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) July 11, 2020
13/ Prosecutors across the country are heartsick over this miscarriage of justice. The power to end it lies with the GOP & Trump's appointees, like Barr. So far, no condemnations or resignations. History won't judge them kindly. We have our work cut out for us in November. (End)
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) July 11, 2020
“Trump has no shame whatsoever,” tweeted former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti:
Trump has repeatedly sent a clear message: if you keep your mouth shut, you will be rewarded.
Right now Michael Cohen is in prison while Roger Stone goes free. That’s not justice, it’s corruption.— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 11, 2020
Trump has no shame whatsoever.
He acts corruptly out in the open because he has not paid a price for doing so. https://t.co/eRTQe74y2T— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 10, 2020
And former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner described the act as “a GUT PUNCH to EVERY SINGLE DEFENDANT” in the U.S. “who is serving a sentence but is not a rich, white friend or criminal associate” of the president.
It “spits in the face of the jury,” he added:
Trump commuted Stone’s sentence. This is a corrupt act. Even more importantly, it is a GUT PUNCH to EVERY SINGLE DEFENDANT in America who is serving a sentence but is not a rich, white friend or criminal associate of Donald Trump. https://t.co/mItw1w07m7
— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) July 11, 2020
Trump & Barr have completely corrupted & perverted the law enforcement & criminal justice functions of the executive branch. Trump spits in the face of the jury by commuting Stone’s sentence & Barr’s BOP jails Michael Cohen as punishment for exercising his 1st Amendment rights.
— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) July 11, 2020
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.