President Trump slams sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone as a 'miscarriage of justice'

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump attacked the potential prison sentence for Roger Stone in a tweet Tuesday, reviving speculation over whether Trump would use his pardon power in the case.

While retweeting a news story about how prosecutors have recommended a sentence of up to nine years for Stone, Trump said: "This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them."

He added, "Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!"

The tweet may have one impact in the short term: A Justice Department official said federal prosecutors are expected to back away from the stiff prison sentence recommended for Stone.

In November, a jury convicted Stone of lying to Congress and obstructing an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, all in an effort to protect Trump and his presidential campaign.

Federal prosecutors this week, in giving the recommended sentence, said Stone committed a "direct and brazen attack on the rule of law."

Stone is scheduled to be sentenced this month.

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Trump sent his Stone tweet shortly before 2 a.m., after returning from a campaign rally in New Hampshire and a dignified transfer ceremony in Delaware for two U.S. soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan.

The tweet revived talk on Twitter over whether the president would consider a pardon for Stone.

"Impeached trump is setting the stage for possibly rewarding Stone's silence/non-cooperation against him with an unjust and illegal pardon," tweeted Richard Signorelli, a former assistant U.S. attorney. "Stone was properly convicted by jury and will properly be sentenced with right to appeal."

Wrote former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa in a tweet: "In light of Trump’s tweet today about the “unfair” treatment of Roger Stone, and the likelihood of him giving him (and Flynn) a pardon – don’t forget Manafort, who never spilled the beans (and lied) to Mueller and who is a sword of Damocles over Trump as long as he’s in jail."

Trump has often spoken of his ability to wield his pardon power amid what he claimed were unfair investigations of him during his presidency. The Stone tweet only fed speculation that he is considering pardons for Stone as well as ex-aides like Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort.

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In December, Trump said he had not thought about a pardon for Stone but added, "I think it’s very tough what they did to Roger Stone compared to what they do to other people, on their side.”

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