U.S. District Court in Lower Manhattan Judge Amy Berman-Jackson sentenced 67-year-old self-described “dirty trickster” Roger Stone to 40 months in prison for lying to Congress, federal investigators and, in once instance, witness tampering. While Berman-Jackson took her shots at Stone during sentencing, essentially saying the case against him was legitimate, she also admitted that the sentencing recommendation given by four Special Counsel Robert Mueller prosecutors was excessive. Yet before Jackson-Berman admitted the Justice Department far exceeded the sentencing guidelines asking for seven-to-nine years, Democrats and the media blamed 73-year-old President Donald Trump and his 69-year-old Atty. Gen. William Barr for corrupting the justice system. House and Senate Democrats ripped Barr for usurping prosecutors’ recommendations, demanding his resignation.
Democrats and the media can’t have it both ways: Claiming they want justice but only if it meets their extreme bias against Trump. Berman-Jackson has more problems with the jury, with jury forewoman Tomeka Hart, an attorney, exposed for anti-Trump tweets and Facebook posts. Delaying her 40-month sentence, Jackson-Berman has some tough questioning before declaring Stone’s case a mistrial. Ordered by Jackson-Berman to pay $20,000 fine and spend two years of probation, Berman-Jackson agreed that new sentencing recommendation were more in line. Not one reporter questioned the original seven-to-nine years, accusing Trump and Barr of interfering with the criminal justice system. “To pardon Stone when his crimes were committed to protect Trump would be a breathtaking act of corruption,” said House Intelligence Committee Chairman and lead impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
Schiff’s undeniable anti-Trump bias can’t pass unnoticed after losing his impeachment trial March 5. Schiff was famously quoted after Mueller pronounced March 23, 2019 that there was no connection between Trump or his campaign with Russia, that he had proof of Trump’s collusion with the Kremlin. Schiff never produced any evidence because he had none. Saying yes “to presidential pardon would speak volumes about corruption,” Schiff completely ignores the FBI—under former FBI Director James Comey—counterintelligence investigation against Trump and his 2016 campaign. Schiff admits nothing about FBI’s misbehavior, only talking about Trump’s corruption. Trump tweeted about how Stone was snared in an unfounded FBI witch-hunt against his campaign. Stone once claimed falsely that he had ties to WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange who released damaging Hillary emails in July 2016.
Mueller’s prosecutors went ahead charging Stone on witness tampering and intimidation for Stone’s emails to witness Randy Credico. Prosecutors claimed Stone used intimidation by threatening Credico’s service dog named Bianca. After Credico testified against Stone Nov. 9. 2019, he realized the absurdity-of-it-all, penning a letter to the judge Jan. 9 reneging on his claim of witness intimidation. Yet prosecutors never removed the charge from the seven felonies against Stone. No, Judge Berman-Jackson has more problems with the jury foreman Tomeka Hart who’s identified with anti-Trump bias. Whether Berman-Jackson declares a mistrial or not, Stone was charged in a highly politicized FBI probe, potentially resulting in indictments of top FBI officials, including Comey and former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe. Berman-Jackson never questioned the FBI’s probe of Stone.
Whether U.S. prosecutors or Berman-Jackson admitted it or not, Stone was a famous Washington publicity hound, claiming secret contacts to gain more influence in power circles. Stone appeared on the radio talk show of Randy Credico, who claimed he had contacts with Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange. No one, including U.S. attorneys, ever confirmed by Credico or Stone actually had any contacts with Assange. Democrat and the media looked for any evidence that Trump colluded with Russian to win the 2016 presidential election. In charging Stone with lying to Congress, Stone stonewalled on the question of Julian Assange and Wikileaks, neither confirming nor denying any contact. Judging by Stone’s past smoke blowing, it’s doubtful he had any contacts or knowledge about Russian hacks of former Hillary Campaign Chairman John Podesta or Democratic National Committee.
Stone was charged by U.S. prosecutors essentially of playing games with Mueller’s investigators, leading them down a rabbit hole. Yet Mueller decided to press charges because Stone humiliated prosecutors who looked under every rock for evidence of Trump’s Russian collusion. Mueller’s case against Stone was built on pure speculation that the longtime Washington buffoon had secret contacts with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Credico once named Assange as his contact with Wikileaks, something Credico never confirmed. Prosecutors used Credico to testify against Stone, further muddying the waters. Once Credico knew his publicity stunt could get Stone jail time, he pleaded with Berman-Jackson to drop the charges. Even though all the talk of Stone’s witnesses tampering was utter nonsense, prosecutors charged Stone because they had nothing left.
