Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney called President Donald Trump’s decision to commute Roger Stone’s federal prison sentence “historic corruption” in a Saturday morning tweet.
“Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president,” Romney tweeted.
Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) July 11, 2020
Trump on Friday decided to commute Stone’s 40-month prison sentence. The former Republican operative and Trump confidante was convicted last year of obstruction, lying to Congress, and witness tampering related to former special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The president called the sentence an “abomination of justice” in February. Last week, he argued that Stone was “a victim of a corrupt and illegal Witch Hunt” and expressed a desire to pardon him.
The commutation keeps the original conviction in place but gives Stone the ability to pursue an appeal through the courts without going to prison. (RELATED: ‘Just So You Know The Rules In This Country’: Tucker Contrasts Treatment Of Roger Stone With That Of Jeffrey Epstein)
“The president has saved my life,” Stone said Friday night, “And he’s given me the opportunity to fight for vindication.”