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Roger Stone (L) and Donald Trump (R.)
- Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is engaged in a war of words with President Donald Trump on Twitter over the sentencing of his longtime ally Roger Stone.
- Federal prosecutors recommended a seven to nine-year sentence for Stone on Monday, which Trump derided on Twitter as "a horrible and very unfair situation."
- The Department of Justice leadership overruled the prosecutors' sentencing recommendation, which triggered a mass withdrawal of the assistant US attorneys assigned to the prosecution.
- Trump lashed out at the judge presiding over Stone's case and her role in presiding over cases for his former campaign chair Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates.
- Hillary Clinton responded to Trump's tweets, calling his intimidation of a federal judge "the behavior of failed-state fascists."
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton compared President Donald Trump to a "fascist" after he lashed out at a federal judge on Twitter over longtime ally Roger Stone's criminal sentencing.
The war of words began on Tuesday evening after Trump called out US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is presiding over Stone's case. Jackson also presided over the criminal case that Special Counsel Robert Mueller brought against the former chairman of Trump's 2016 campaign, Paul Manafort, and his associate, Rick Gates, as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
NBC contributor Katie Phang tweeted on Tuesday that Jackson would be presiding over Stone's case. In response to Phang's tweet, Trump lashed out at Jackson over her role in Manafort's case and the decision to hold him in solitary confinement while awaiting trial.
"Is this the Judge that put Paul Manafort in SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, something that not even mobster Al Capone had to endure?" he wrote. "How did she treat Crooked Hillary Clinton? Just asking!"
Trump followed up with another tweet, calling Stone's sentencing "A phony Mueller Witch Hunt disgrace."
Stone, who also worked for Trump's presidential campaign, was accused of collaborating with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in order to discredit Clinton's campaign. Stone was convicted of seven felony counts of obstruction, witness tampering, and false statements in January 2019 by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. In November 2019, Stone was found guilty in federal court.
Federal prosecutors recommended a seven to nine-year sentence for Stone on Monday, which Trump derided on Twitter as "a horrible and very unfair situation." The Department of Justice leadership overruled the prosecutors' sentencing recommendation, which triggered a mass withdrawal of the assistant US attorneys assigned to the prosecution.
Clinton responded to Trump's tweets, calling his intimidation of a federal judge "the behavior of failed-state fascists."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also weighed in on Trump's overall tweets on the matter, saying that Trump has "engaged in political interference" over his commentary on Stone's sentencing.
She also called on the Department of Justice to be investigated for overruling Stone's sentencing recommendation.
"It is outrageous that DOJ has deeply damaged the rule of law by withdrawing its recommendation," she wrote.
Is this the Judge that put Paul Manafort in SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, something that not even mobster Al Capone had to endure? How did she treat Crooked Hillary Clinton? Just asking! https://t.co/Fe7XkepJNN
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2020...And a swamp creature with "pull" was just sentenced to two months in jail for a similar thing that they want Stone to serve 9 years for. A phony Mueller Witch Hunt disgrace. Caught! https://t.co/6baxv3Lvuk
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2020Do you realize intimidating judges is the behavior of failed-state fascists? Just asking! https://t.co/kcEzirsGUF
- Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 12, 2020By tweet @realDonaldTrump engaged in political interference in the sentencing of Roger Stone. It is outrageous that DOJ has deeply damaged the rule of law by withdrawing its recommendation. Stepping down of prosecutors should be commended & actions of DOJ should be investigated.
- Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 12, 2020