President Trump said Monday he’s getting “rave reviews” for commuting the prison sentence Roger Stone, saying his longtime friend was railroaded by former special counsel Robert Mueller and a judge who treated him unfairly.
“This was an investigation that should have never taken place,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House. “I’m getting rave reviews for what I did for Roger Stone. He wasn’t given a fair trial.”
The president commuted Stone’s 40-month prison term for lying to Congress and obstruction of justice, days before he was to report to federal prison on Tuesday.
Democrats and some Republicans have slammed the president’s action as an abuse of power or a political mistake.
Mr. Trump said the jury forewoman in Stone’s trial was anti-Trump. He also criticized District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, without mentioning her name, implying that she has anti-Trump motives.
“This was a judge who gave solitary confinement to [former Trump campaign chairman] Paul Manafort,” the president said. “Al Capone didn’t get solitary confinement. Roger Stone was treated very unfairly.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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