Roger Stone
All four federal prosecutors in the Roger Stone case have withdrawn
from it after a surprise sentencing shift raised troubling
questions about the motivations of top Justice Department officials.
Here's how it went down: Stone was convicted of lying to Congress and tampering
with witnesses during the Russia investigation. The prosecutors this week asked
a federal judge to sentence him to
seven to nine years in prison. Then, President Trump publicly voiced his
displeasure with the request, calling the situation "very
unfair" and "disgraceful." Hours later, the Justice Department
issued an updated sentencing recommendation asking for less time for
Stone, undercutting the prosecutors' initial request. This prompted the
mass withdrawal, as well as sharp criticism from Democrats who claim the
President unjustly used his power to influence the suggested
sentence. Trump says he didn't ask
the Justice Department to do anything but had the
"absolute right to," if he wanted. 