9 senators call for attorney general's resignation after DOJ intervenes in Roger Stone's sentencing
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Nine U.S. senators signed a letter Friday demanding that U.S. Attorney General William Barr resign because of his intervention in the criminal case against Roger Stone, a former adviser for President Donald Trump.
“The interference in this case by you or other senior DOJ officials working under you is a clear violation of your duty to defend fair, impartial and equal justice for all Americans,” the letter said. Axios and Raw Story have coverage, while NBC News reporter Frank Thorp tweeted images of the letter.
The Department of Justice had overruled prosecutors who sought a seven-to-nine-year sentence for Stone on Monday. In a new sentencing memo filed Tuesday, the government told the court that such a sentence could be “considered excessive and unwarranted.”
The senators’ letter said Barr and other officials “intervened in a clearly political fashion to undermine the administration of justice at the president’s behest.” Barr has denied discussing the case with Trump or the White House.
Among those signing the letter are two senators seeking the Democratic presidential nomination: Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The remaining seven senators are also Democrats.
Stone was convicted for lying to Congress about WikiLeaks, obstructing the congressional probe of Russian influence, and tampering with a witness.
The senators’ letter was sent the same day the New York Times reported that Barr has assigned an outside prosecutor to review the criminal case against Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser.
The story, based on anonymous sources, said outside prosecutors were also reviewing other politically sensitive cases.
News also broke Friday that the DOJ won’t charge Andrew McCabe, the former acting FBI director, with lying to investigators. Lawyers for McCabe said they were informed that the case had been closed, report the New York Times and the Washington Post.
