Feb 15, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Roger Stone pushes for new trial, again

Orion Rummler

In this image, Stone stands next to his wife and attorney — Stone and his wife exit the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse on Nov. 15, 2019. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Longtime Trump ally Roger Stone, one of several associates close to President Trump to be indicted as a result of the Mueller investigation, filed a motion for a new trial on Friday, according to his case docket in D.C.'s federal district court.

Flashback: Stone's previous request for a new trial — based primarily on the court not striking a juror from the case — was denied by the court on Feb. 12.

Driving the news: Trump acknowledged in a tweet earlier this week that Attorney General Bill Barr personally intervened to overrule career prosecutors' sentencing recommendation for Stone, who is set to be sentenced on Feb. 20.

That new sentencing memo states: "While it remains the position of the United States that a sentence of incarceration is warranted here, the government respectfully submits that the range of 87 to 108 months presented as the applicable advisory Guidelines range would not be appropriate or serve the interests of justice in this case."
The federal prosecutors who tried Stone's case in November — who all withdrew from the case after the Justice Department's new sentencing recommendation — previously recommended that Stone serve 7-9 years in prison.

Background: Stone was convicted on seven counts related to lying about his efforts to learn when WikiLeaks would publish damaging emails about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election.

Go deeper: Trump on possible Roger Stone pardon: "I don't want to say that yet"

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Roger Stone pushes for new trial, again

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