Daily US Times: US President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of Roger Stone, his former adviser.
The announcement came just after the Washington DC Court of Appeals denied Stone’s request to delay the start date of his custodial term of 40 months.
Mr Stone was convicted of lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering.
The 67-year-old was the sixth Trump aide found guilty on charges linked to a justice department probe that alleged Russia tried to boost the Trump 2016 campaign.
He had been due to report to a federal prison in Jesup, Georgia, next Tuesday.
What did the president say?
The White House said in a statement: “Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency.”
The statement said that Justice Department prosecutors under special counsel Robert Mueller only charged Stone out of frustration after failing to prove the “fantasy” that the Trump campaign had colluded with the Kremlin.
“This is why the out-of-control Mueller prosecutors, desperate for splashy headlines to compensate for a failed investigation, set their sights on Mr Stone.”
The statement said Roger Stone has already suffered greatly and he was treated very unfairly, as were many others in this case.
”Roger Stone is now a free man!” it added.
Mr Trump had been hinting about this step for months, including on Thursday night in an interview with a Fox News host.
What’s the reaction?
Stone told that Mr Trump had called him earlier on Friday to let him about the commutation, Associated Press news agency reported.
The political adviser said he was celebrating in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his friends.
But Adam Schiff, House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman, condemned Mr Trump’s clemency.
“With this commutation, Trump makes clear that there are two systems of justice in America: one for his criminal friends, and one for everyone else,” the Democratic lawmaker said.
“Is there any power Trump won’t abuse?” asked Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez.
Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic Senator, said it showed Donald Trump was the most corrupt president in history.
But Rudy Giuliani, the President’s personal lawyer welcomed the news, saying Roger Stone’s sentence was draconian.
The president has been accused by political critics of undermining the justice system by criticising criminal cases against Stone and other former aides.
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