(CNN) — Roger Stone, a political strategist and a friend of President Donald Trump’s, was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in prison.
Stone was convicted last fall of lying to Congress and threatening a witness regarding his efforts for Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson spent much of the hearing criticizing Stone’s actions and spared no words against the Trump ally.
“At his core, Mr. Stone is an insecure person who craves and recklessly pursues attention,” she said before issuing her sentence, which also includes 2 years of probation.
Stone’s actions “led to an inaccurate, incorrect and incomplete report” from the House on Russia, WikiLeaks and the Trump campaign, Jackson told the court. She also said she believed Stone’s threats to witness Randy Credico deserved a stronger sentence.
Stone also potentially threatened her on social media, the judge said.
“I suppose that I could say Roger Stone didn’t intend to hurt me … it’s just classic bad judgment,” Jackson said, then dismissing that idea. “It wasn’t accidental.”
“Incendiary activity is precisely what he’s known for,” she said. “The court should not sit idly by, shrug its shoulders and say ‘that’s just Roger being Roger,'” Jackson said as Stone closed his eyes at counsel’s table, fiddling with a pen and shifting his weight.
Jackson later added that Stone’s actions — not his politics — led to his trial and conviction.”
“This case did not arise because Roger Stone was being pursued by his political enemies,” Jackson said. “It arose because Roger Stone characteristically injected himself smack into the middle of one of the most significant issues of the day.”
