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Roger Stone sentencing hearing begins as Trump hints at pardon – live Roger Stone sentencing hearing begins as Trump hints at pardon – live
(32 minutes later)
Trump’s former associate, who was found guilty on seven counts in November, will be sentenced today but the president may pardon himTrump’s former associate, who was found guilty on seven counts in November, will be sentenced today but the president may pardon him
Asked whether he would like to address the court, Roger Stone said he would not be speaking today.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson then called for a short break before she delivers her ruling on Stone’s sentencing.
Roger Stone’s lawyers argued the prosecution of his criminal case had already been punishing enough for him and his family, recommending probation for the former Trump associate.
But considered the severe terms Judge Amy Berman Jackson has used today to describe Stone’s actions, it seems unlikely she will be swayed by that argument.
Under questioning from Judge Amy Berman Jackson, federal prosecutor John Crabb defended the original prosecutors who carried out Roger Stone’s case.
Crabb, who signed on to the revised sentencing recommendation last week, blamed the change on a “misunderstanding,” saying the original prosecutors received the proper approvals for their recommendation of seven to nine years in prison.
“This prosecution was, and this prosecution is, righteous,” Crabb said.
But Crabb would not directly answer Jackson’s questions about whether he was ordered to sign the revised sentencing recommendation, which came after Trump criticized the original recommendation.
Crabb argued that process was a matter of internal deliberations, but he expressed confidence in Jackson’s eventual sentence. “We are confident the court will impose a fair and just sentence in this matter,” he said.
The federal prosecutors and Roger Stone’s lawyers argued in court over whether the former Trump associate had obstructed his own criminal case by posting about it on social media.The federal prosecutors and Roger Stone’s lawyers argued in court over whether the former Trump associate had obstructed his own criminal case by posting about it on social media.
As a reminder, Stone was slapped with an expanded gag order last year after he posted an Instagram appearing to show Judge Amy Berman Jackson and the crosshairs of a gun.As a reminder, Stone was slapped with an expanded gag order last year after he posted an Instagram appearing to show Judge Amy Berman Jackson and the crosshairs of a gun.
Jackson warned in court today that the post could have incited violence against her and merited a sentencing enhancement, denouncing Stone’s behavior as “intolerable.”Jackson warned in court today that the post could have incited violence against her and merited a sentencing enhancement, denouncing Stone’s behavior as “intolerable.”
The judge overseeing Roger Stone’s case agreed with his lawyers that his sentence should not be extended due to evidence of planning to obstruct Congress in its Russia investigation.The judge overseeing Roger Stone’s case agreed with his lawyers that his sentence should not be extended due to evidence of planning to obstruct Congress in its Russia investigation.
Interestingly, the federal prosecutor in Roger Stone’s case who has repeatedly referred to the original sentencing recommendation, which was later contradicted by justice department leadership, is the same prosecutor who signed on to the revised recommendatinon.Interestingly, the federal prosecutor in Roger Stone’s case who has repeatedly referred to the original sentencing recommendation, which was later contradicted by justice department leadership, is the same prosecutor who signed on to the revised recommendatinon.
The judge overseeing Roger Stone’s case has so far ruled that sentencing guidelines which could increase his prison sentence do apply to his conviction.The judge overseeing Roger Stone’s case has so far ruled that sentencing guidelines which could increase his prison sentence do apply to his conviction.
But as a Politico reporter noted, the application of those guidelines does not necessarily mean Stone will receive the maximum sentence.But as a Politico reporter noted, the application of those guidelines does not necessarily mean Stone will receive the maximum sentence.
It appears the federal prosecutors, who were added to Roger Stone’s case after four of the original porsecutors withdrew from the case in protest, are standing by their colleagues’ original sentencing recommendation.It appears the federal prosecutors, who were added to Roger Stone’s case after four of the original porsecutors withdrew from the case in protest, are standing by their colleagues’ original sentencing recommendation.
As a reminder, the four original prosecutors withdrew from the case because senior Justice Department leaders, including attorney geneeral William Barr, revised down their sentencing recommendation for Stone.As a reminder, the four original prosecutors withdrew from the case because senior Justice Department leaders, including attorney geneeral William Barr, revised down their sentencing recommendation for Stone.
That revision came after Trump criticized the recommended sentence, which was seven to nine years in prison.That revision came after Trump criticized the recommended sentence, which was seven to nine years in prison.
It now seems the prosecutors installed to replace their absent colleagues are standing by the original recommendation that the president objected to.It now seems the prosecutors installed to replace their absent colleagues are standing by the original recommendation that the president objected to.
As Roger Stone’s sentencing hearing continues, Trump is tweeting about his former associate, claiming his crimes were on par with the actions of former FBI director James Comey and former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe.As Roger Stone’s sentencing hearing continues, Trump is tweeting about his former associate, claiming his crimes were on par with the actions of former FBI director James Comey and former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe.
But as a reminder, neither Comey nor McCabe were ever charged with a crime -- in comparison to Stone, who was both charged and convicted on seven counts.But as a reminder, neither Comey nor McCabe were ever charged with a crime -- in comparison to Stone, who was both charged and convicted on seven counts.
Roger Stone was yelled at by a few protesters as the former Trump associate arrived for his sentencing hearing at a federal courthouse in Washington.Roger Stone was yelled at by a few protesters as the former Trump associate arrived for his sentencing hearing at a federal courthouse in Washington.
As a reminder, Roger Stone was found guilty on seven counts brought by the Justice Department in November.
The former Trump associate was accused of lying to and obstructing Congress, as well as witness tampering, in connection to the investigation into Russia interference.
According to special counsel Robert Mueller’s team, Stone lied under oath about his communications with WikiLeaks as he tried to obtain hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 election and threatened one of his friends to prevent that information from coming to light.
The sentencing hearing of Roger Stone, Trump’s former associate, is getting under way in Washington.
Regardless of Stone’s sentence, the judge overseeing his case has said she will delay execution of the sentence until Stone’s request for a new trial over alleged juror bias is settled.
There’s also the possibility (if not probablility) that Trump will pardon Stone, making it unnecessary for Stone to serve out his sentence.
Trump’s appointment of Richard Grenell as the next acting director of national intelligence has raised some concerns about political influence over the intelligence community.
Grenell, who currently serves as the US ambassador to Germany, is known as one of the president’s most loyal allies, and he has no background in intelligence.
Because he has only been appointed on an acting basis, Grenell will not have to be confirmed by the Senate, although his tenure will end after only six months unless he is formally nominated.
Nonetheless, Grenell’s oversight of the office of the director of national intelligence set off alarm bells among Trump’s critics that the president was trying to exert political influence over the intelligence community.
Trump’s press secretary dismissed those concerns in a statement, insisting Grenell is “is committed to a non-political, non-partisan approach as head of the Intelligence Community, on which our safety and security depend.”
Bernie Sanders also came under attack from his opponents during last night’s debate, the first since Sanders became the definitive frontrunner in the race.
Pete Buttigieg, in particular, criticized Sanders for not doing enough to chastize his online supporters, some of whom engaged in “vicious attacks” against Nevada’s Culinary Union after the organizion came out against Medicare-for-all.
“Leadership isn’t just about policy,” Buttigieg told Sanders. “I think you have to accept some responsibility and ask yourself what it is about your campaign in particular that seems to be motivating this behavior more than others.”
Sanders said he condemned the “few people who make ugly remarks” online, but he added, “All of us remember 2016, and what we remember is efforts by Russians and others to try to interfere in our election and divide us up. I’m not saying that’s happening, but it would not shock me.”
But Twitter said in a statement that it would have disclosed any evidence of Russian disinformation campaign to sully the reputation of Sanders’ supporters.
“Using technology and human review in concert, we proactively monitor Twitter to identify attempts at platform manipulation and mitigate them,” a Twitter spokesperson told CNBC. “As is standard, if we have reasonable evidence of state-backed information operations, we’ll disclose them following our thorough investigation to our public archive — the largest of its kind in the industry.”
This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.
Mike Bloomberg’s debate performance last night has been widely panned, with many critics saying the former New York mayor appeared unprepared to respond to some very obvious lines of attack about his record.
Trump is now adding his name to the list of Bloomberg’s critics, mocking the fellow billionaire in a tweet for his height and the “worst debate performance in history.”
The tweet includes a video made by a supporter, which ends with Bloomberg being crushed under a giant foot before “Trump-Pence: Keep America Great” appears on screen.
It isn’t just a shift in poll-ratings that candidates were looking for after the Las Vegas debates last night - and it looks like Elizabeth Warren’s performance has allowed her to hit the fund-raising jackpot. Her team say that they had their best debate day fund-raising of the campaign yet, bringing in $2.8m
The Sanders campaign also seem to have had a rewarding night, with Eliza Collins reporting that they also claim to have had their best debate fund-raising day, with $2.7m coming in.
It looks like it could be quite lively at the court in Washington where Stone is due to be sentenced. There already seem to be pro and anti-Stone camps making their presence felt outside.
The president is up and tweeting - and not about Roger Stone. Trump has started his online day by posting a video clip of a veteran being carried to his seat at a Trump rally, which Donald Trump Jr had highlighted earlier.
Politico have published a good long read looking into the saga of Roger Stone’s almost inevitable presidential pardon by Darren Samuelsohn. It’s a good refresher on just how deep the ties between Stone and Trump have been over the years:
You can read it here: “The Roger Stone pardon saga”
While he awaits the outcome of US moves to extradite him, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been visited in prison by a leading British opposition politician - shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
McDonnell described the US attempts to extradite Assange to face trial to face 18 charges, including conspiring to commit computer intrusion, as “one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation, in fact longer.”
McDonnell criticised “The way in which a person is being persecuted for political reasons, for simply exposing the truth for what went on in relation to recent wars. We don’t believe that extradition should be used for political purposes.”
McDonnell added that “I think if this extradition takes place it will damage the democratic standing of our own country as well as America. We have a long tradition in this country of standing up for journalistic freedom, standing up for the protection of whistleblowers and those who expose injustices.”
Assange, 48, could face up to 175 years in jail if the Trump administration’s attempt to extradite him is successful.
Here’s some more detail from the visit…