Critics Slam ‘Historic Corruption’ After Trump Commutes Roger Stone’s Sentence
Several prominent critics of President Donald Trump have rounded on him following his decision to commute the sentence of long-time ally Roger Stone. In an unprecedented move, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller slammed the decision.
“I feel compelled to respond both to broad claims that our investigation was illegitimate and our motives were improper, and to specific claims that Roger Stone was a victim of our office,” Mueller wrote in a Washington Post op-ed.
“Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so.”
Mueller reiterated that his investigation found “the special counsel’s office identified two principal operations directed at our election: hacking and dumping Clinton campaign emails, and an online social media campaign to disparage the Democratic candidate.”
Republican Senator Mitt Romney also attacked the commutation, using perhaps the strongest language he’s yet deployed in criticizing the President.
“Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president,” Romney wrote on Twitter.
Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) July 11, 2020
By contrast, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he would now accede to Democrats’ request to bring Mueller before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Graham has been a champion of the President and he’s leading an investigation designed to undermine Mueller’s probe.
“Apparently Mr Mueller is willing – and also capable – of defending the Mueller investigation through an oped in the Washington Post,” Graham said.
Democrats reacted with predictable anger and condemnation, but it is the criticism from Republicans that indicate just how poorly timed Trump’s decision was as he faces an uphill reelection battle amid a pandemic and polls consistently show him losing.
