Political interference? Republicans say there’s a judge for that

Trump’s tweets about judge in Roger Stone case draw rebuke, but some Republicans downplay their effect

 

Corrected 9:06 p.m. | Senate Republicans left it to a federal judge Wednesday to sweep away questions of improper political influence by the White House in the criminal case against Roger Stone — even as President Donald Trump tried to cast doubt on fairness ahead of his longtime adviser’s sentencing.

Trump used his Twitter megaphone to highlight U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson and her previous actions in other cases, part of a remarkable series of presidential tweets related to Stone’s case.

First, Trump tweeted that a sentencing recommendation of seven to nine years in prison for Stone was “unfair.” The Justice Department then took the rare step of intervening to rescind that sentencing recommendation. Four career prosecutors resigned from the case in protest. Trump then tweeted congratulations to Attorney General William Barr for “taking charge” of the case. Continue reading.