RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN 2016 US ELECTION & SPIN-OFF INVESTIGATIONS

[HairOfTheDog]

As for Roger Stone.......he chose to plead 'not guilty' on charges of lying under oath to Congress and tampering with a witness.  

While awaiting trial, he violated the judge's gag order twice and tweeted a threatening meme towards her.  He also claimed to need money for his defense and started GoFundMe accounts.  When he went to trial, it was typical Stone theatrics on display.  

However, Stone's trial was conducted according to standard process, despite the defendant's theatrics.  

The prosecutors presented evidence and witnesses to prove their case against Stone and Stone's attorneys attempted to refute it.    

The jury selected by the defense and prosecution considered the evidence, witnesses, and arguments from both sides.  They found Stone guilty of all charges, after which the judge set the date for sentencing (this Thursday).

What occurred next is what's way outside standard process.  The President of the United States tweeted that the prosecutors' sentencing recommendation was not fair to his long-time friend/adviser Roger Stone and that Stone was railroaded!

The Attorney General of the United States then intervened to withdraw the case prosecutors' sentencing recommendation and filed a new lighter sentencing recommendation for the judge to consider. The four case prosecutors then withdrew from the case.  

Meanwhile, the President of the United States is still interfering in the criminal justice system by tweet, echoing FOX News anchors' demands for a new trial for Roger Stone.  

Stone is scheduled to be sentenced by the case judge this Thursday.  We should find out today whether that sentencing date holds.

[Duchess]

The Prosecutors sentencing changed a few times during the trial of Flynn and Stone. If there was any partiality during any of the trials it should be addressed. like I said before others have done the same thing and got a wrist slap. Stone is an asshole I admit that but Flynn was railroaded. He was told his sentence would not be as bad as it was if he pleaded guilty and he was just wanting to get it done and over with. Then he said he was not going to plead guilty and POOF the prosecutor changed the sentencing. Weird trials both of them.

You couldn't get a clue during clue mating season in a field of horny clues if you smeared your body with clue musk and did the clue mating dance.  

[BigMark]

[Maggot]

Well that's all very nice. I do believe that Flynn will not get any time at all. he thought he was being interviewed by the FBI when he was being interrogated without representation. I blame McCabe for that. 

As far as Stone goes I still believe he is an asshole but even assholes like McCabe who lied and admitted it did not face 9 yrs in the slammer. I predict he will get probation and a fine. 

As far as The letter to Barr by all the "DOJ Prosecutors" That letter was created by protect democracy a group that's filled with Liberals and Democrats claiming bi-partisanship. 

i'm not sure but this smells a little fishy and time will tell.



Here is the Protect Democracy team

[HairOfTheDog]

Judge Jackson held a phone conference with the (new) prosecutors and defense attorneys for Roger Stone today.

Stone's defense team requested that his sentencing be postponed and filed a bunch of new motions.

However, the judge agreed with prosecutors that there is no compelling legal reason not to move forward with Stone's sentencing hearing as scheduled, on Thursday, 2/20.  Good.

The judge will consider the new defense motions (which haven't been released but likely include request for a new trial, probation only, and the like) and decide on those motions later.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/18...day-115773

[HairOfTheDog]

Roger Stone Sentencing Underway

Initially, the federal prosecutors recommended 7 to 9 years for Stone.  That's within the sentencing guidelines for obstruction combined with threatening a judge and threatening a witness.  

Then, President Trump tweeted that his friend was being treated unfairly.  Not so.....threats against witnesses and the court result in enhanced sentencing as a rule / guideline.  Stone was simply not being given preferential treatment because of his long ties to Trump.

Next, the Attorney General intervened and overrode the federal prosecutors' recommendations.  Today in court is was revealed that AG Barr didn't specify a new sentence.  Instead, he just recommended it be considerably lighter than the initial recommendation.  The original prosecutors withdrew from the case.

(continued)

[HairOfTheDog]

Presently, Stone's defense is asking the judge to consider that Roger Stone is a human being and his threats really weren't serious; 'just Roger being Roger'.  

Well, under the law.......... all defendants are human beings and Roger just being Roger isn't any more mitigating than Joe Schmoe just being Joe Schmoe when making criminal threats.  Irrelevant.

And, interestingly, the new prosecutors in the DOJ are not aligned with their boss Barr.  They are not asking for a lighter sentence than initially requested; they are asking for 7 - 9 years based on the crimes and the sentencing guidelines.

(continued)

[HairOfTheDog]

Meanwhile, President Trump continues his public attempts to get the criminal justice system to give his friend/ally preferential treatment, despite AG Barr publicly announcing that the President's interjection is highly inappropriate and undermines his ability to do his job.  

Trump publicly responded to Barr's complaint by saying that he (Trump) is the highest law enforcement official in the land -- which is legally and constitutionally false.

Seems likely to me that Trump plans to circumvent justice by pardoning Stone if Stone's request for a new trial and no jail time is rejected by the judge and Trump is re-elected..

Anyway, the sentence will be handed down by Judge Jackson soon.  Stone won't go directly to jail no matter the sentence because the judge has said he can remain free while she considers the latest defense motions.

[Rootilda]

40 months, just a tad over 3 years. And I'll bet $5 he's either pardoned or he only gets 6 months of prison time and then released for good behavior.

[HairOfTheDog]

40 months, just a tad over 3 years.  And I'll bet $5 he's either pardoned or he only gets 6 months of prison time and then released for good behavior.

 

Thanks Rootilda. Three years is within the broad guidelines, albeit pretty light.

A three year sentence will make it very difficult for any claims of bias to hold credibility with an appeals court though.  It also makes clear that a potential pardon would be based only on bias, in my opinion.

I don't think Stone has any grounds to be granted a new trial and think that defense motion will be denied.  

Stone deserves to live behind bars for at least three years -- hopefully he'll be entering his new caged residence soon.

[Duchess]

I enjoyed the way Judge ABJ tied trump to Roger by saying "he was not prosecuted, like some have claimed, for standing up for the president. He was prosecuted for covering up for the president". 

A pardon has the power to open up a world of hurt for the prez.  

[Rootilda]

Trump's recent pardoning spree seems to be opening the door to... something. I don't know if it's related to Stone or not but something fishy is going on.

[Duchess]

trump has begun to distance himself from Roger. 

"Roger was never involved with the trump campaign for president. He wasn't involved! I think, early on, long before I announced he may have done a little consulting work or something but he was not involved when I ran for president."

Ahahahahahahahahaha!

[Duchess]

A bipartisan US Senate report says the 2017 intel assessment about Russian interference in the 2016 US election was accurate. “The Committee found no reason to dispute the Intelligence Community’s conclusions."

[Rootilda]

Fake news, Russian hoax, Benghazi, but her emails, 5M, the cure is worse than the disease, build the wall, lock her up, the FBI are scum.

I'm sure I missed some but they're basically all interchangeable anyway.

[Maggot]

Such a travesty. It makes Nixon look like an 8 yr old stealing penny candy.

[Duchess]

What's the travesty, Benghazi? I agree.

[HairOfTheDog]

A bipartisan US Senate report says the 2017 intel assessment about Russian interference in the 2016 US election was accurate. “The Committee found no reason to dispute the Intelligence Community’s conclusions."

Just had a chance to catch up on the news -- the Republican-driven bi-partisan Senate's findings were not surprising to me, but it's good to see U.S. Intelligence agencies being validated yet again. 

I think we need them now more than ever and hope the Trump Administration's attempts to discredit them hasn't undermined their abilities too much.

The report released yesterday was the fourth of five reports from the Senate Intelligence Committee's examination of 2016 Russian interference.  The fifth and final report (which will include focus on Trump campaign interactions with Russian operatives) has reportedly been postponed a bit due to the committee's need to work remotely.  

The fourth report confirmed that Russia, under the direction of President Putin, actively worked to sow divisions in the U.S.'s democratic election process and sway the American public against Hillary Clinton and towards their preferred candidate, Donald Trump.

As far as I can tell, the Senate Intelligence Committee is not chartered to determine whether any interference was successful, but rather to investigate the U.S. intelligence agencies' methods and findings.  So far, the Senate has determined that the intelligence agencies' methodology and conclusions were proper and not politically-influenced.

Ref:  https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21...016-198171

[Rootilda]

I've seen several news stories about Russia, China and Iran conspiring against the US with misinformation campaigns. Things like the virus originating in a US lab and spread by American GIs and other attempts to further hurt our economy and (quickly decaying) good standing in the world. So there's that. And with Trump's penchant for siding with the dictators of the world, I'm curious if this will be brought up in his coronavirus campaign rally briefings.

[Maggot]

Christoper Steele tells why and how Trump was linked to Russia..............There was no link. This is getting bad for the F.B.I and all those involved in the Russian Hoax. 

Hoax and follow up