Donald Trump ally Roger Stone sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison after president intervened with Justice Department
- Original prosecutors had called for seven to nine years, but recommendation was reversed by Justice Department after Trump complained publicly
- President indicates he has no immediate plans to pardon Stone and will let legal process play out
A federal judge on Thursday sentenced US President Donald Trump’s long-time adviser Roger Stone to three years and four months in prison and said his lies to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election posed a threat to American democracy.
After US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced the veteran Republican operative in Washington, Trump indicated he has no immediate plans to pardon Stone and would let the legal process play out, while adding that “at some point I’ll make a determination.”
“I personally think he was treated very unfairly,” Trump said in Las Vegas.
In a stern lecture during a 2½-hour sentencing hearing, Jackson delivered an implicit rebuke to Trump, who has attacked her along with the jury and prosecutors in the high-profile case.
“There was nothing unfair, phoney or disgraceful about the investigation or the prosecution,” Jackson added, citing words that Trump has used.
The judge also said Stone “knew exactly what he was doing” when he posted an image on social media last year that positioned a gun’s crosshairs over her head.
