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| Fifth Column | |
| Watch live: Ex-Roger Stone prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky to testify before House Judiciary Committee | |
| 2020-06-24 | |
| [FoxNews] One of the federal prosecutors who withdrew in protest from Trump ally Roger Stone's case told House lawmakers that the Justice Department chose to recommend a lesser sentence for Stone because of his ties to President Trump. In explosive testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Aaron Zelinsky, an assistant U.S. attorney in Maryland and a key deputy to former special counsel Robert Mueller, said the department's intervention in the sentencing recommendation was "unprecedented." "Roger Stone was treated differently because of politics," he told lawmakers. Zelinsky appeared via live video, saying he had to testify remotely to avoid risk of infection with the coronavirus. Zelinsky was a front-line prosecutor in Stone's case and, along with three others, withdrew in February after the Justice Department moved to recommend a lighter prison sentence than the prosecutors had sought. "What I heard repeatedly was that this leniency was happening because of Stone's relationship to the president, that the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia was receiving heavy pressure from the highest levels of the Department of Justice, and that his instructions to us were based on political considerations," he said.
Mukasey defended Barr from allegations his actions are driven by politics and the need to protect Mr. Trump, telling lawmakers instead that disagreement in sentencing recommendations from the Justice Department's senior ranks does not mean the agency is politicized. Related: Roger Stone: 2020-05-20 Supreme Court blocks House from Mueller grand jury material Roger Stone: 2020-05-11 Following Last Week's Release Attorney Clevenger Alleges Office of DNI Has Communications Between Seth Rich and WikiLeaks – Russia Collusion a Lie! Roger Stone: 2020-05-01 Roger Stone to appeal prison sentence, judge's denial of new trial | |
| Posted by:Woodrow |