Today, four Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors who asked a judge to sentence Donald J. Trump’s longtime ally Roger Stone to between seven and nine years in prison withdrew from the case. Their withdrawals came shortly after Trump’s appointee, Attorney General William Barr, reacted to a Trump tweet and moved to seek a reduction in the sentencing recommendation.
“This is a horrible and very unfair situation,” the president tweeted. “The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!”
Prosecutor Jonathan Kravis, the front-line prosecutor in the case, resigned both from the case and as an assistant U.S. attorney. Kravis on Tuesday, filed a notice with the judge saying he “no longer represents the government in this matter.” Kravis said Barr acted following Trump’s twitter blast, saying that Stone had been treated unfairly.
The other three prosecutors, Aaron Zelinsky Adam Jed and Michael Marando, also withdrew from the case.
Stone, 67, was convicted of seven counts of obstructing and lying to Congress and witness tampering over his efforts during the 2016 campaign to get the Trump campaign information about WikiLeaks.
Trump, feels emboldened after the Republican Senators vote not to remove Trump after being impeached by the House. After his “acquittal” by the Republican Senate, Trump moved against those individuals who complied with subpoena’s and presented testimony in the House impeachment hearing.
Gordon Sondland, U.S. ambassador to the European Union, and National Security Council Staffer Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, were out. At the same time, Alexander’s win brother, Army Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, was escorted out of the White House and dismissed from his post at the National Security Council.
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