WASHINGTON, D.C. — Longtime Trump ally Roger Stone has been sentenced to 40 months in prison.
Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson imposed the sentence after a lengthy hearing with attorneys on both sides. A jury convicted Stone of seven felony counts involving obstruction, lying to Congress and witness tampering.
The case was linked to the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Jackson argued that the punishment fits the crimes. Stone will also have to pay a 20-thousand dollar fine.
Federal prosecutors abruptly quit the case last week after the Justice Department objected to a sentencing recommendation of seven-to-nine years. The department called for a lighter sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb apologized to Judge Jackson for the confusion.
He blamed it on a miscommunication between prosecutors and Attorney General Bill Barr. Meantime, President Trump’s critical tweets about Stone’s prosecution sparked accusations of political interference in the federal judicial system.
Trump has not ruled out a pardon for Stone.
