- The Washington Times - Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Roger Stone said he is praying for a full pardon from President Trump after others criminally charged in the U.S. government’s investigation of the 2016 elections were cleared of their convictions Tuesday.

Stone, Mr. Trump’s former campaign adviser, was convicted in 2019 of seven felonies and later ordered to spend 40 months in federal prison, but the president commuted that sentence and spared him from serving time.

He now says he is seeking additional relief from the president beyond the commutation he granted earlier this year and wants to receive a full pardon as well.

“The jackals in the fake news media keep asking me if I have ’asked’ for a full pardon from the President. The answer is no, I am praying for one,” Stone posted on the social media service Parler.

Stone, 68, made the post on Parler shortly after the White House announced that Mr. Trump has issued pardons or commutations to a total of 20 individuals, including two with close ties to Stone’s case.

Among the people Mr. Trump pardoned Tuesday are George Papadopoulos, a former aide for his 2016 campaign, and Alex Van der Zwaan, a Dutch lawyer, who both were charged as part of the same probe as Stone.

Stone, Mr. Papadopoulos, Mr. Van der Zwaan were charged as a result of the investigation into Russian election interference led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller for the Department of Justice.

A jury convicted Stone on felony counts of witness tampering, obstruction and perjury, while Mr. Papadopoulos and Mr. Van der Zwaan each pleaded guilty to charges of lying to federal investigators.

Mr. Trump is contesting the results of the election, which awarded the electoral votes to President-elect Joseph R. Biden. Mr. Biden is expected to take the oath of office on Jan. 20.

• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.

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