Let's be clear that not all prosecutors are as clean and as politically impartial as they claim.
The poster child - the conviction of a long time US Senator Ted Stevens - a Republican convicted under a Republican POTUS - W.
The net result was Democrats had a 60 vote majority and passed Obamacare with not one Republican vote.
And what happened then?
It turned out the prosecutor's had committed mischief - serious enough to warrant a federal judge to throw out everything.
And more ominously, recommend prosecution of these very same prosecutors.
Just imagine that of so called career prosecutors.
Tragically, one killed himself over his guilt.
With that history in mind - when prosecutors had been requested to use their discretion which is all legal - but refuse - why have bosses who cannot over rule them?
Another instance of prosecutorial discretion is the plea bargain of Clinton on eve of his departure from the White House.
A hard nosed career prosecutor could have refused a plea and forced a trial of Clinton - luckily, it did not happen.
So, to make all this - as totally out of the norm - I say, get real.
2
Has anyone noticed that Mr. Stone was convicted of witness intimidation and further, he arguably tried to intimidate the judge. Those acts were an attack on the whole court process.
Historically, people who try to intimidate prosecutors or witnesses are treated harshly very harshly. In Cook County, fellow gang members walked around a witness and his family in a restaurant and then sat and glared at them. Never did they say a word. They got more time than their buddy who was convicted of murder. I wonder what people intimidating judges get? Perhaps, I don't want to know.
Seven to nine, seems way light to me.
6
Trump is the head of the Justice Department as Chief Executive and has the right to shape its policies.
9
@logodos
Shape it’s policies?
10
@logodos No. And you know something? If someone were willing to 'shape policy,' then that requires a detailed plan to be implemented. What we have here is not a 'plan' to 'shape policy,' but the tweet of a has-been reality show host out to protect his corrupt friends. I don't believe that Trump could write an actual policy or piece of legislation, PERIOD.
26
I am so very tired of this argument posed by Trump supporters. Yes, the president has the authority to make these decisions. But do you ever ask yourself about the wisdom of his decisions? Does that even once concern you? As a child, your parents had the right to feed you as they saw fit, provide the home they wished for you to live in, discipline you as best as they saw how. But isn’t it important that those decisions be wise and nourishing? Or is absolute authority all that matters? If absolute presidential authority is what you seek then why live in a democracy? Why have experts, aides, advisers? Why bother with a Cabinet? Why have freedom of speech? Remember, US citizens are not children and the president is not our father. He is the People’s elected servant. At least in a democracy he is.
31
Let's get over this and move on. As things turned out, the Mueller investigation led no where and did not produce the result the Democrats hoped it would. In the process, Mueller employed many tactics that were reminiscent of the English Star Chamber of the late 1600s and that snared many people close to the President but did not move the Mueller investigation forward one bit. Stone was the last of these people. And, while Mueller's team is apparently disappointed, it is over, even if did not end the way they wanted.
It was OK for then FBI Director Comey to say that, while Hillary Clinton was extremely negligent in handling classified information (which is probably a serious crime) no reasonable prosecutor would have prosecuted her. Had we applied the Mueller approach, we would have done so, and might well have succeeded in getting a conviction.
Its time we turn the page and close the book on the Mueller era and hope that nothing like this ever returns to our politics.
36
There is no moving on. This is here to stay. Trump supporters are the ones who have to move on and find someone better. The rest of the country is in your hands. Please think outside of the walls you have built to protect this President.
232
@jpduffy3 Stone’s actions prevented mueller from fully conducting his investigation. This is what he was convicted of, 7 felonies, by a jury of his peers. Stone also continued to thumb his
Nose at justice during his trial, hence the harsh recommended sentence. Now trump and his criminal AG want to pull the strings and give stone special treatment, and you say move on? Why should I be so quick to be OK with this??
316
@Ste Scenarios similar to the case you want to sweep away will occur again because of the Trump/Barr dynamic. Do we continue to "move on"?
112
Maybe what this country needs is a good old-fashioned nationwide general strike for a day or two.
6
Many people seem not to understand the basics of our Constitution. The president is head of the executive branch, and the attorney general works for the president, as the Justice Department is part of that branch. The attorney general is not independent.
That is different from almost all states, where the attorney general is an elected official rather than an appointee of the governor. Maybe the federal government should also have an independent Justice Department, but it's not now and never has been.
Donald Trump is in charge of the Justice Department, not Bill Barr. If Bill Barr does not like the way Donald Trump acts, he can resign. From comments he has made in an interview today, maybe that is what he will do. Given past experience, I'll bet it is Donald Trump that backs down. Bill Barr is the best attorney general he's likely to find, and I think he knows that.
But their working relationship is between those two men. Under the Constitution and the balance of powers Donald Trump has every right to criticize those who work for him and comment on what they do. He has the right to fire and (with the advice and consent of the Senate in some cases) replace any one of them, attorney general and prosecutor alike.
This idea that prosecutors are, or should be, immune from the criticism and control of the president is a fallacy. We elect the president. We do not elect prosecutors or an attorney general. The president appoints them, and they are responsible to him, not us.
5
@John Smithson
“ Many people seem not to understand the basics of our Constitution. “. Yup.
Pretty sure all the rest you said is called a “crock”.
4
We are there. Well, not quite. We're still able to make our comments, I guess.
The Republic senators told us to "let the people decide." One might think that they meant the majority of the people, but we all know that this isn't the case.
All the Republic presidents for the past three decades have received a minority of the vote. If Trump or pretty much any Republican wins the presidency in the next election, it will be accomplished with the majority of American voters opposing him. (Need I say him or her? Probably not.)
Now the game changes further. A minority chooses the president. Then the executive branch gives orders to the judicial branch.
Tell me how this isn't already an autocracy?
I've heard Democratic friends caution against trying to change things too fast. Are we all asleep? Things have already changed fast--in the past ten years.
If they change fast again, let's hope that it's to restore meaning to our votes, to restore conformity to our laws.
Dictators do things because they aren't stopped. And after that, they do things because they can't be stopped.
5
Barr says trump's tweeting is making it impossible for him to do his job. He's only saying that because what it means to signal to trump: please stop tweeting what we're up to; it's better to do it on the sneak.
6
So when are we going to do the right thing and impact Barr for his unethical and treasonous conduct against the constitution?
3
AG William Barr has done some in the last 50 years dishonor his oath of office as president lesion to the United States of America and defending Constitution his lawless actions to reduce sentenced to Roger Stone a known criminal of one of Pres. Donald Trump henchmen this shows you how the Republican Party treats Americans.
This alone should wild you up for November 3, 2020, the foal all Republicans out office there embed with billionaires and lobbyists and who knows.
Middle-class Joe blow that I included. So when the Democrats win on November 3, 2020, they should prosecute and put in jail AG. William Barr and President Donald Trump but here probably be exiled to Russia with Putin's love.
2
What's this country come to, such that everyone fears Trump?
Let others blame Trump. Instead I blame the weak-kneed citizens and prosecutors who hide under their beds at the slightest threat.
So what if Trump pressures you, stand up and stop crying about it.
Mandela was in prison for 27 years on trumped up charges. You didn't hear him complaining about it.
Americans have become a small people, afraid of their own shadow, filled with imaginary fears, constantly worrying about everything. A Canadian hockey team could take this crybaby country over, except that no one wants to put up with whiney people.
Americans have become a sniveling lot; it's why they let the Republicans walk all over them. Other countries would drag Trump onto the White House lawn by his hair and cast McConnell down the Capitol steps. And their rulers know that.
Why have we allowed this constant abuse to go on?
1) Abusive behavior is normalized by our society.
2) Citizens have lost their self-esteem (maybe due to those participation trophies)
3) Because Trump throws out a few soothing words after slapping you.
4) They like being controlled.
5) They believe if you say nothing, the abuse will stop.
6) They've been gaslighted into believing they deserve it.
7) Misplaced hope that their innocence will save them.
8) But he's the President!
9) What will people say?
10) We are in this together.
Weak citizens always find a reason to do nothing. Happened just like this in Germany.
6
Anyone who reads the charges against Roger Stone and thinks that 7 to 9 years in prison should be his punishment ought to resign. That's disgraceful. The man is a bloviating blowhard, not a criminal. He ought to have been given a stern talking to, not be put in prison.
Our country puts way too many people in prison for silliness like this, and other non-violent crimes like drug possession. We need to be like other countries and use social shame and other ways to rehabilitate people who commit non-violent crimes.
1
All I see in the comments on here is a lack of will and a whole lot of whining. When will Americans decide that taking back this country from a group of traitorous Senators led by the traitor in the White House led by the Russian in the Kremlin is a force we can reckon with? What happened to the energy and force and ideals of the '60's when social networking was not the conduit to release angst but mass protest was? If not for mass marches, the Viet Nam War would've been a continued slaughter of American lives. Know that we the people are partly responsible for the continued atrocity to our country. We are foregoing all our rights as they disappear like vapor. And we just sit and watch...and whine!
9
I just feel that Barr is pandering.
Russia no longer exports Communism. They export white nationalism, disinformation, corruption and assassinations. Make no mistake, the Republicans have embraced the Putin model for America. Once a few more journalists are dispatched with bone-saws, investigative journalism will be silenced and disinformation will fill the void. White nationalists and Neo-Nazi militias will terrorize the polling places and Republicans will "win" overwhelmingly win with 98% of the vote - would you believe it? Now, it's just political investigations, but soon political opposition will face assassination. Maybe by 2024, Trump will just announce that he has selected Don Jr. to be the next President, and no one will dare to object.
2
Its called a dictatorship.
5
So readily do Americans accept a dictator. Update: IS happening hete.
4
What justice department?
3
Folks, the real disease is us.
Our Donny Boy is just a symptom. He's the same guy he's always been, and 62,900,000 good citizens believed seating him in the White House was a good idea.
Without those 62-million supports Donny is just another con-artist, and reality TV actor.
We are the problem.
We have to change.
Exchanging Donny Boy for another person won't matter.
We have to change; We have to want to change; We have to know what we need to change into.
Don't see that process even beginning.
-C
6
Wait until Trump leaves office, however long that may be, then go after ALL those corrupt Trump cronies. As for Bill Barr "the president is making him look like his political lap dog,” Are you kidding me? He IS his lap dog!
6
Trump wants to ignore the rule of law and also be the rule of law, both of which are contrary to our democracy and the actual rule of law we all agree to abide by. All except him, the totally dishonest narcissist who has never appreciated how and why these matter so much. Barr knows better, but he's like the feckless congressional Republicans, afraid of the incompetent-in-chief. This presidential failure needs to go.
Eclectic Pragmatism — http://eclectic-pragmatist.tumblr.com/
Eclectic Pragmatist — https://medium.com/eclectic-pragmatism
2
Barr is an embarrassment.
4
The three branches of our government, with the exemption of the House of Representatives, are now held tightly by the claws of trump .
Never , in my old age , I would have thought that a similar nightmarish scenario could become real .
The only way to avoid a klepto-plutocracy run by a “ Mein Kampf “ reader such as our “ stable genius president “ is to vote “ en masse “ this November.
4
Warren's ship is sinking quickly.
She just announced a new plan on CNN.
The Democrats have a new plan.
Impeach Barr.
This should end well.
"Obama’s Comments About Clinton’s Emails Rankle Some in the F.B.I." This is a Headline from the NYTs--so this notion that Trump has done something unique is nonsense. Obama made numerous comments about on-going cases. Vote for America--Vote Republican.
1
Republicans in Congress have rolled-over to Trump and are cowering like beaten and abused puppies in abject fear of what their angry and sadistic sociopathic master might do to them next.
3
How much more sheer evil are Americans willing to take? Why are those Americans still possessed of a shred of intellect, decency and foresight not howling their outrage in the streets every day? How can you be so proud of your 1776 revolution, when you got rid of a tyrant, while tolerating the tyranny of this vile grifter and his contemptible sycophants? Give yourselves a shake!
7
So, four prosecutors quit the case. Big deal. Let’s show some guts and quit your cushy government jobs and go out into the real world and earn a living. Just quitting the case, you give up nothing but earn brownie points by Democrats.
4
What happens when Trump decides a sentence recommendation or actual sentence is not severe enough?
We know the Justice department will fold. We know the Senate will fold. What will the courts do?
Presidential pardons are one thing. The opposite is much more frightening. You know this situation will occur as Trump attacks his enemies. You also know a case like this will head to the Supreme Court. The implications boggle the mind.
Two branches in collusion. Perhaps the third branch also?
4
The Trump will mark the time in history for the breakdown of democracy for the US. Unfortunately, people supporting this regime are too blinded by delusions of racial grandeur and dominance to see it coming and, the Republican Party continues to be the vehicle for delivering this breakdown of democracy.
8
Since when do prosecutors think they're in charge of their own jobs when the president knows more about the law than they do? He himself has told us he's "like a very smart man."
1
The department will be known from now on as the Department of Injustice.
3
The real question is what the sentence will actually be from the courts. The court knows the original sentence recommendations, the pressure tactics, change of recommendations and subsequent resignations.
What will the court do? Will the a third branch of our government fold like the legislature has or will the judiciary keep their constitutional independence intact?
Americans are watching, as are the international communities. This is another test of our democracy and constitution.
7
Trump is like a white wall (flat, lacking depth) onto which everyone casts their particular shadow-- corruption or integrity, cowardice or strength. There is no subtlety. People who I either dismissed, strongly disagreed with, or didn't trust-- Romney, the Bushes, McCain, John Kelly, Bolton, military generals, the CIA, FBI, Comey, Washington bureaucrats-- I now respect for their integrity and consistency. The rest of them, people like Graham and Barr who lost their spines somewhere, are the real dangers to our country. It's really not about ideology at all, which we can disagree on, but rather about character, which we all know to be true whether we admit it or not. Power corrupts, but only if we allow it.
9
I can’t figure out how Barr would like to be remembered. Any thoughts out there?
1
@Patricia
A number of former Trump enablers like to make the point that they served in order to protect the president from himself or to protect the nation from the president.
Rex Tillerson talked about Trump's default instincts invariably being in violation of the law, and tried to propose solutions that were within the law.
John Kelly left saying that it's best to think of his tenure in terms of what he prevented rather than what he did.
I think there's a religious factor to AG Barr's role as chief law officer. He says he believes in the primacy of executive power and may well see Trump as "the chosen one", without using that language, because he sees Trump being open to enabling a biblical overlay to the interpretation and application of the law through the courts. Not that Trump himself is Christian or religious at all, but that his rhetoric resonates with many white Christians and a few black ones.
To your question, Barr would probably like to be remembered as the attorney general who brought an end to the secular notion of church and state being separate, but without the vision to see that it leaves open a type of Taliban prevailing in a country populated by increasing numbers of extreme, vainglorious and influential evangelical types: Jerry Falwell Jr, Franklin Graham, Jim Bakker, Paula White, etc.
4
Had enough people? Are things scary enough yet?
Or, would you rather continue whining about Sanders' "socialism" or Bloomberg's stop-and-frisk or Klobuchar being mean to her staff or Buttigieg having rich donors?
They won't get their entire wish lists done anyway, so please recognize that we are in crisis, and vote Democratic no matter what.
16
@Jules
I'm voting for Bloomberg. The only one that truly scares Trump.
2
We need to be far far more worried about our police who have sworn allegiance to Trump and keep in mind Trump has announced repeatedly he is not going to leave because he knows our so called "elections" are a joke otherwise he wouldn't be in power. This is the outcome of catering to racism for votes by both parties and then allowing an agency like the DEA exists. Can you imagine another country's para military unit showing up here and then demanding chemical manufacturers to stop making chemicals? Not to mention that their existence was for the sole purpose of voter suppression against the blacks and hippies. And the entire press still considers all cops heroes often for doing nothing.
1
We've been here before with AG Barr and his questionable history with Iran Contra pardons. The 54 sitting Senators who confirmed him failed to fully vet him. tHe should feel free to resign before his 31 March House Committee testimony before he. He would sinks the entire GOp with a 2020 A G impeachment inquiry.
In other countries, this would cause people to march in the streets and surround the White House. In this country, we continue to drift through reality lulled to blissful apathy by the fantasies on our phones and televisions.
5
Prosecutors should not be afraid but should continue to do their jobs and call out the president and AG every time they interfere.
6
So it turns out that these holdovers from the Obama Administration improperly withheld information from the defense attorneys. Why are good, honest Democrats upset? Oh, that’s right. We hate Trump and anybody who is associated with him.
2
@William McCain Thanks for letting us know what lies the Republicans are putting out there to spin this.
4
What nonsense; these prosecutors are trying to hide their own corruption. The fix was in right from the start on Roger Stone’s trial
2
Remember when republicans were at a uproar when Bill Clinton spoke with then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch on a tarmac? Now this? Talk about reversal of values. Or maybe they never had any values after all.
7
Didn’t Obama’s Justice department do the same thing with Hilary? The AG met with Bill Clinton while investigating his wife. I think it’s time we realize that the justice department is not free from political bias of the administration it serves. This is true for both parties. True, previous presidents were more sophisticated in signaling their wishes. But Trump is not the aberration the NYT would have you believe.
2
@NYNY To answer your questions - no they didn't. Republicans made up scandals and "what about"? is all you have.
2
@NYNY So, you are good with Trump interfering with the justice department?
2
Guilty of seven counts from a jury of peers. No reasonable doubt.
4
I can't wait for Bloomberg to completely wipe the corrupt smile off of Trump, Barr's and McConnell's faces.
The only corrupt trial was the Senate's with their prearranged verdict. That level of corruption can destroy what's left our democracy.
C'mon Mike, rid us of this criminal administration soon!
5
@Clearwater
White people don't realize that black people have good reason to hate Bloomberg and will not vote for him. Without the black vote you cannot win, the numbers aren't there.
Bloomberg is no savior who will rush in while we stand by and cheer. It's like we all want a magic pill to cure ourselves. But there is no easy solution.
The only way is to do it ourselves. We have to do this the hard way, working from the bottom up.
4
Donald has sent more than 15,000 tweets since taking office. Donald's most common topic? Himself.
Meanwhile, Donald rarely (if ever) tweets about issues that impact working Americans’ lives (e.g., health care, prescription drugs, preexisting conditions, wages, etc.).
Donald's tweets make it clear that he’s more focused on creating chaos and bullying, degrading, demeaning, demonizing and insulting people than on actually doing his job.
All Donald does is tweet, golf and show up on Fox News. I guess Donald isn't capable of doing any real presidential work.
We don't need this unhinged, narcissistic, vindictive person as president.
8
@Eugene "All Donald does is tweet, golf and show up on Fox News."
Let's be grateful. Whenever he gets involved in government "stuff" we suffer for it while he profit$.
Won't Trump's next move be pressure on the DoJ to indict his enemies? What will Republicans like Lindsay Graham and Suna Collins say then? Dr. Faustus in Marlowe's play sold his soul to the Devil. The Republicans seem to have sold their souls on the cheap to Trump, a very poor imitation of Satan.
1
@Skeptic He already did! From the Washington Post Jan 9 2020. "John Huber, the U.S. attorney in Utah, was tapped in November 2017 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to look into concerns raised by President Trump and his allies in Congress that the FBI had not fully pursued cases of possible corruption at the Clinton Foundation and during Clinton’s time as secretary of state, when the U.S. government decided not to block the sale of a company called Uranium One."
People seem to forget, Trump has been using the Justice Department for his own personal gain, right from the start.
1
Sorry, but do we really believe that Stone deserved 7-9 years?! It is outrageous that the prosecutors went for that kind of a sentence given the charges. Murderers and rapists spend less time in jail. The sentence they sought was a joke. It's astounding to me that so many think this sentence was okay.
4
@Ma So Donald, you have left the twitter for awhile to post at the NY Times? I thought you folks thought criminal sentences are too lenient - apparently not for white white collar criminals, especially if they are your buddies.
2
trump, fox, and barr are now the nation’s highest court.
3
Hope Hicks will Fix!!
I can now do ANYTHING!!!
No more elections. I am KING!
What a mess.
1
"After Stone Case, Prosecutors Say They Fear Pressure From Trump."
After this, no American will be able to trust the DOJ to treat them fairly and without bias. After all, this White House has told Americans time and time again that it would very much like to treat them prejudicially and unconstitutionally, with no respect for their rights, no respect for democracy.
4
The tensions seem to also be between the prosecutors and Justice Department. The prosecutors changed the sentence after reviewing it with the Justice Department. That seems to have been an operational mistake on their part.
1
When I sit back and see the bickering on the left, the polarization everywhere and the economy chugging along, I’m left quite despondent about what will occur in November.
The concept of “anyone but Trump” should be a maxim that every citizen of this country gets behind other than his base, whose members I have disregarded as incapable of objective analysis years ago.
This event matters little to most people, and of course, that’s the problem. Why should any POTUS after Trump agree to a higher standard than that which our country is permitting Donald to operate under. It’s all a scary precedent and no one should be pleased about this.
2
@Eric We are not permitting Trump to operate under any standard. We hope for high standards, but when it gets down to it, a President will operate to the standards he so desires. That is more than apparent with Trump. I am an "anyone but Trump," person because, he has NO STANDARDS AT ALL!
2
@Eric I do agree with you philosophically. But I'll wait until he actually does that before I criticize him for it.
1
All of this alleged fear, and nothing meaningful has been done. Cases are on appeal. Very few WH employees or former employees describe the scenes they actually witnessed - only their "fears." Where are the fast tracked lawsuits? We have Supreme Court Justices who allegedly believe in strict interpretations of the Constitution. Meanwhile, the rules of the Constitution as we have understood them for 2 centuries, are ignored nearly every day. Oh - the problem is that many of these laws have "never been tested' - therefore we cannot know how the Supreme Court would rule. They have not "been tested" because their meaning has been clear to all besides Trump and Barr. It seems we now must fear how the "impartial" Supreme Court will rule. I hope they are all losing sleep, except for RBG, who cannot physically afford to lose sleep.
3
Authoritarianism has arrived in America, friends. It is no longer something you see in movies or in continents away. It is here now. And we can either act continuously shocked and surprised or we can fight. It's time for the passivity to end. You don't keep your democracy by standing on the sidelines. Republicans concluded long ago that the ends justify the means. To them, we are an existential threat. We are going to have to fight fire with fire and get our hands dirty or we will lose, our country will lose, and the most vulnerable will suffer.
4
The Walter Cronkite Republican notes another step towards the unconstitutional drive to impose an imperial Presidency by Mr. Trump's Republicans, subverting our nation's democracy. If one party chooses to rule like tyrants, they may reasonably expect to be treated like a tyrants. President Thomas Jefferson wrote that the tree of liberty needs to be refreshed from time to time by the blood of tyrants and patriots. The WCR prays that the truth of those words may invoked spiritually instead of literally.
2
In an interview (60 Mins?)Barr was asked about appearing to be an atty. for trump and not Atty. Gen. for the people. HIs response went something like -- 'we all have to die some time.'
He continues to make obvious the hill upon which his reputation will surely die.
1
With their acquittal the GOP has issued all of us an ultimatum. Surrender to the will of the new king, or else!
Hold to your convictions - in my case that means fairness, empathy, compassion, open-mindedness, devotion to the truth, faith in what's right, and a deep and abiding belief in equality of education, opportunity, and treatment under the law - and you will pay an ever increasing price for it.
After decades of preparation the Republicans are making their big push. They want complete and unlimited control. And it comes in the form of a proxy/patsy known as Donald J. Trump.
The GOP has fully embraced the idea of power for power's sake alone. Power not bound by anything. Not conviction. Not conscience. Not morality. Not the Constitution. Not the law. Nothing.
And what does history have to teach us about that? What happens when so much power is concentrated into the hands of so few? Well, unless the people who possess it are of such rare and altruistic character that they use it wisely, then disaster and ruin are sure to follow.
The reason great literature about the nature of power resonates throughout the ages is because it has the ring of truth.
And that truth is that it's harder to wield power wisely, than
it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
Because the traits that allow people to gain power, are antithetical to those which would allow them to use it with equanimity once it's acquired.
Trump was once a vacuum. But he's now become a black-hole.
3
It's pretty simple - Trump has no business interfering in a legal matter of this nature.
Man up... the entire agency should refuse to be pawns in this matter.
Mr. Trump, as much as I like some of what you have accomplished, you have zero right to interfere with the legal process, despite the right to pardon. The right to pardon is not to be taken lightly.
1
This angst among prosecutors is misplaced. They ought to be incensed at the whole Mueller investigation, a politically motivated witch hunt. It was supposed to find any crimes between the Trump campaign and Russians. It found none. Zero. Yet it brought charges nonetheless.
Bob Mueller's testimony before the two House committees showed that he was senile and addled, and Andrew Weissmann appears to have been in charge. His footprints are all over the charges brought. Michael Flynn's trumped-up charges. Armed raids on Paul Manafort and Roger Stone. Process crimes and charges having nothing to do with Russia were used to try to "turn" people.
Things got way out of hand. If you look at the basis for Roger Stone's conviction the charges are laughable. His so-called threats against Randy Credico and his dog are nothing but silly bluff and bluster. As Randy Credico himself testified. And the prosecutors say that alone warrants 5 years in jail!
Donald Trump is right to complain that our justice department is not doing justice with charges like these. They are ridiculous. And the pattern of abuse has gone on for years, as liberal civil rights attorney Harvey Silverglate points out in his book Three Felonies a Day.
Our prisons are embarrassingly full of people being punished so prosecutors can preen their political feathers. Time for that to stop.
3
@John Smithson Okay. And now back to THIS story.
2
The prosecutors have nothing to worry about. As long as they go easy on Trumps friends and relatives, and with republicans in general, they have nothing to worry about. They can compensate by going rough on democrats and minorities.
1
The humor, sarcasm, and satire that prevails in these Comments confirms the fact -- yes, the FACT, Fake Trump -- that the United States, founded on sophisticated ideals and laudable principles, has been set adrift in a cesspool by a Corrupt president, his Corrupt administration, and their Complicit wealth-driven allies.
Civility is fractured in the U.S.
Our leaders' ethics and morals are corrupted.
Our corporations are largely corrupted.
Our economic system is fractured.
Our health-care system is fractured.
Our elementary/secondary education system is fractured.
Our colleges and universities are largely corrupted.
Our climate is barely on life support.
Equality across the classes is nonexistent.
Equality for women and other minorities is nonexistent.
Immigrants are treated like chattel.
Firearms are the adult (and child) toy of choice.
Popping opioids is nearly as popular as popping mints.
The freest, safest nation on earth is an international joke.
…
…
Read it, America.
And weep.
4
Tomorrow, Valentine's Day as it turns out, is the one-year anniversary of Bill Barr taking over as, pardon the expression, "attorney general." However, his primary role, as we've learned to our collective dismay, is as Donald Trump's fixer, filling the vacancy after Michael Cohen was sent to federal prison.
One thing that Mr. Barr's reliability as chief enabler for a lawless president has ensured is that John Mitchell must now be relegated to only second place on the list of most corrupt attorneys general in American history. His politicization of the "Justice" Department is nothing short of appalling.
3
The trial was politically motivated as was the conviction.
For example:
The forewoman of the jury, Tomika Hart, showed clear animus against Trump on social media posts and was openly commenting on the case.
In January 2019, Hart shared a Twitter post from CNN analyst Bakari Sellers that was about Roger Stone. Stone “has ya’ll talking about reviewing use of force guidelines,” Sellers wrote after FBI agents conducted a pre-dawn raid on Stone’s house that was captured by CNN cameras.
That same month, Hart shared an NPR article that included information about Stone’s indictment.
On Nov. 15, 2019, the day Hart and fellow jurors voted to convict Stone, Hart posted a tweet containing four emojis: two hearts and two fist-pumps.
Is this real justice? For you jurists out there: should this woman have been a juror?
5
@Rose M And therefore ?
@kenneth,
I am not a lawyer, but I do believe that Ms Hart is in hot waters for lying to the judge. She needs to be on trial and maybe do time.
4
Do Trump supporters hate their fellow Americans so much they'll accept only certain laws apply to the GOP wealthy, but all laws apply to everyone else? Are these supporters so easily bought off to ignore the obvious corruption by this WH administration? America may have a few issues in the past, but unlike today, we can no longer count on balance between the 3 executive branches being respectfully maintained. Attacks to active and former military members, intelligence communities, the media, even children speaking out their concerns for environments future are all Trump does every day. Him hitting back? NO, IT IS NOT! It is a President trying become a dictator by threats and intimidation. Actions that are unacceptable under ANY circumstances regardless of political party affiliations!!! The GOP has shown their cowardice and corruption every time they remained silent, or refused to hold Trump accountable. This is NOT making America great. It's making America a banana republic.. So sad!!
2
An Independent American, it's not against the law for a president to give his opinion on issues he thinks are important to the country. Actions are a different story, but what actions did he take that bother you?
1
Lots of people are using terms like "banana republic" and "fascism" these days to describe our experience, and rightly so, but the common aspects of banana republic fascism we have yet to see include state violence, disappearances, mass arrests, assassinations, mass murder. Consider past banana republics from Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego--were any of them peaceful? Those horrors will come to US unless we find ways to stop DJT's lawlessness soon.
3
Apparently now in the U.S., some people are above the law.
1
@nancy gee, what a new reality. never happened before.
From outside the US we can only look on and wonder why Americans are so quiescent in the face of outrageous corrupt abuses. What will it take?
4
Go and Google all of the matters that Obama tried to influence and then you will realize this "concern" about Stone is the media and Democrats looking for anything to whine about.
Vote for America--Vote Republican.
1
@Jonathan Oh. Now go and Google THIS century !
I googled it and couldn’t find anything on Obama. Whataboutery is a poor defense anyway. What Trump is doing is indefensible. He needs to keep his mouth shut, but he just can’t help himself.
2
Everybody should fear Trump, this is the most crooked administration in the history of this country.
1
Everyone, we're tumbling deeply and quickly into fascism. That's what this is. Most Americans see it, but are afraid to say the word. They're afraid, because our media outlets like the Times do somersaults NOT to say the word.
2
President Obama cut Chelsea Manning's sentence back from over 30 years to 6 years. But that was President Obama, adored by all decent people. Your double standards are no longer breathtaking.
3
@Susan I don't think these folks were trying to be breathtaking...just fair-minded.
1
This article in The Atlantic is eye opening. Everyone should read this if they are concerned Trump will get another four years and damage the USA permanently. Trump's gluttony for power is something to be taken very seriously.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-2020-disinformation-war/605530/?fbclid=IwAR1MDG-nmAsCpZs6C5KnUv0xMyafMB59xiffUD8Nn4rd1GkUM1x_ynJeiYc
1
@KC
Thank you giving this link. I listened to Terry Gross /Fresh Air/NPR interview the author of this article a couple of days ago and it kept me rooted in my car for the entire program. Mind-boggling revelations. Got the magazine then, and for anyone interested, a transcript and podcast of the interview are available on NPR.
1
And this is the country which criticises Putin for autocratic behaviour. How long until he marches into a neighbouring country, safe in the knowledge that President Trump won't lift a figure? What have you done, America? TV is not real life!
1
The president is out of control. I am afraid we are dealing with Caligula. What happened to the home of free? Were are the braves? Were are the Men?
2
He learned from his impeachment. That he's omnipotent.
1
Instead of speaking anonymously these prosecutors should openly revolt and demand the removal and disbarment of Barr.
2
Judy, the prosecutors are certainly welcome to say what they want and do what they want. That they chose to stay anonymous shows how strongly they really feel. Bill Barr is not going to be removed. He's not going to be disbarred. Anyone who calls for that is a little loony.
1
Why should any prosecutor "fear" Trump? Don't we still live in a democracy? How about pushing back against Trump and Barr, his minion? Go big, or go home, prosecutors and judges. You people know what you're doing.
1
These 4 attorneys were all had ties to the Obama Administration and worked for Bob Mueller in Mueller's Dream Team of 100% Democrat prosecutors.
I think the outrage machine making people forget to engage their brains before they comment.
9 years for what he did?
Really?
And resigning?
Good riddance.
1
@Erica Smythe huh?
1
@Erica Smythe
As usual, important facts have been omitted, the most important one being that Robert S. Mueller III is a long-time registered Republican, appointed by Rosenstein, a Republican, who in turn was appointed as Deputy Attorney General by Trump, a Republican (currently) but who in the past was also registered as a Democrat and also as Independent. So despite the fact that the majority (not 100%) of the Mueller team was registered as Democrats, surely the fact that the man in charge was a Republican is an important factor? Brain engagement please.
1
AG Barr needs to resign or face impeachment.
4
And so trump tightens the grip on his dictatorship.
5
Rule of Law needs to apply to everyone in the USA; Barr is a fiasco.
3
William Barr is making Alberto Gonzales look principled.
4
At the end of the day, the DOJ answers to the President of the United States. It is not an “independent” bureaucracy unto itself. Article II of the Constitution explicitly states that all executive power is invested in the president. This includes the power to indict and prosecute. Off the top of my head, I can cite Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Grant, TR, Wilson, FDR, Truman, Kennedy, and Bush 43 all directing the DOJ to prosecute certain individuals and organizations or to refrain from doing so. Trump could have ordered the case against Roger Stone to be dropped outright (he didn’t however). It doesn’t matter how a US Attorney or their staff feel. Ultimately, it is the president’s decision. For those who think Trump could be abusing his power in this instance, ask yourself this question: Would that be an abuse of power if Trump were to pardon Stone? No, because the Constitution grants him that authority. It cannot be an abuse of power if the Constitution says the president may take such actions.
Actually, I think the topic was Right vs Wrong, not whether or not he can legally get away with it.
1
Roosevelt tried to pack the Supreme Court, Jackson famously declared " John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it"
One would think that by now the judiciary would be by now accustomed to powerful Presidents attack it and able to deal with it.
The founders knew human nature and triparted government power precisely because they saw the three branches battling each other.
Here's the distinction no one talks about: every single one of us has political biases (a.k.a., a point of view informed by our experiences and knowledge). That's not a bad thing. The question is whether the prosecutors allowed their political bias to impact their decision making regarding the recommended sentence. There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that this occurred, unless, like our brilliant president, you believe that any action or speech that isn't in favor of you or your cronies is de facto evidence of biased decision making. I can't believe how little critical thinking some people employ.
1
The first few stages of Trump's authoritarian take over are complete. He has now personally leveraged the whole of the executive branch into conspiracy. He has enough control of the legislation, to block any oversight on him personally as well as to block any attempts to stop election interference. As we know he is working on the courts. On the immense and all important social media side of things, it appears he at least has Facebook bending his way. It will be interesting how he works to manipulate the MSM, including print, to report only what he wants reported, as well as punish those that don't. Trump has proven to be all and more of what we all feared as he won the WH. Our country is in dire straights.
1
"Mr. Trump’s allies have said he has every right as the head of the executive branch to oversee investigations, even those in which he has a personal interest, and that he is trying to correct the political excesses of a law enforcement system he sees as biased against him and his team."
On this point, Trump's actions are simply another logical consequence the 'unified executive' theory of presidential power, long championed by extreme conservative legal scholars.
During his tenure at the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, Prof. John Yoo invoked this theory in support unlimited, warrantless wiretapping of American citizens and torture of foreign nationals in secret CIA prisons during the George W Bush administration--among the most disgraceful acts of government in contemporary American history.
Trump is not the first president to take such actions, nor is he acting alone. Trump and presidents like him have been enabled by the work of many legal scholars, whose expansive interpretation of presidential power has met little resistance from either a supine Congress or a complacent judiciary.
It is time for the legislative branch to vigorously assert its oversight power of the executive. If the executive fails to produce witnesses, withholds documents, and obstruct lawful investigations, Congress must exercise its power of the purse and cut off the money.
1
Weaponization of law enforcement agencies to either punish perceived enemies or protect political allies is neither normal nor acceptable. It should be loudly called out for what it is, the lawless action of a criminal President, and should be vigorously resisted by the legal community and society at large.
30
Trump inserts his personal interests in absolving Roger Stone of guilt for Stone's involvement in the Russian attack on the 2016 election and the Attorney General of our Justice Department jumps to do exactly what Trump has asked in regards to protecting Stone. This is no longer a United States that I recognize. We have lost so much in the last three years: basic decency in the behavior within the Executive Branch, protections against accumulation of power granted in the Constitution, and now, loss of impartial justice. I do not think that we recover from this, unless Trump and everyone of his Republican enablers loses the 2020 election.
19
Practical Realities, there was no evidence that Roger Stone was involved in the Russian meddling in the 2016 election. That's the whole point. The charges against him were process crimes. Lying to investigators. Lying to Congress. Threatening a witness. All trumped-up, bogus crimes.
@John Smithson So that justifies White House intervention in the sentencing phase of a criminal case against one of its own?
"We don't like that verdict, so you judges 'better go easy on him."
Judge Amy Berman Jackson can’t be fired. But Trump has her in his crosshairs, the threats from his minions no doubt are in process, and the pressure from Barr is coming down.
She is a remarkable woman, but one judge is unlikely to win a battle with the forces of evil coming in from all sides.
9
Who are all those civil servants that seem to quake in their boots every time Trump or Barr open their mouth?
If they have abided by the law, I say disobey the orders, maintain the sentence recommendation, and take it to court.
And if Trump or Barr fire them, take them to court again. After all what is the purpose of being a lawyer and prosecutor in the justice department if one cannot tell people to go jump in the lake, regardless of rank or position.
12
DJ, you may not realize it, but every federal prosecutor works for Bill Barr, and thus for Donald Trump. Those two men have every right to order their subordinates to do their bidding. If they don't, they can resign, as they did. But they can't disobey their orders.
@DJ
We need a crowd fund to pay for their legal expenses.
Prosecutors : Stand Fast! Stand Fast against the corruption of the current regime.
9
Patriot Front: "We seek to build a fascist homeland in the ashes of a failing democracy."
America is well on its way to being a failed democracy, with Republican-Trump-cultists building the foundation of the fascist state that the Patriotic Front envisions.
It’s so obvious …
• Republican Justice John Robert’s “legislating from the bench” ruling on Citizens United.
• Roberts, joined by Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh (Republicans all), undercut "one person, one vote" when it endorsed gerrymandering
• Trump-Republican 2017 tax bill ... Rep. Chris Collins from New York: “My donors are basically saying: ‘Get it done or don’t ever call me again.’” The Center for Responsive Politics found dozens of billionaires and millionaires dramatically boosted their political contributions unlike they had in past years.
The trend toward fascism is accelerating with the failure of Trump Republican Senators to check the power of an out-of-control Trump, who now openly and illegally utilizes the power of his office to harm anyone he perceives as an enemy, and openly and illegally interferes with judicial proceedings against his supporters who have been convicted of illegal behavior. This is excused by his defenders as being acceptable, because whatever Trump does in the belief that he’s acting in the public interest cannot be construed as illegal.
Yes, the Republican-Trump-cultists are indeed building the foundation of the fascist state that the Patriotic Front envisions.
9
The Department of Justice must now change its name to Trump Associates. The president now presumed to be both judge and jury and is in the process of bullying everyone who doesn’t see eye to eye with him. This does not bode well for our democracy. In fact, the president seems to be positioning our nation for autocratic rule. I wonder what McConnell and Graham think of their hero now. Just as the president is coming for federal prosecutors, a federal judge, and jurors, he will eventually come for Mitch and Lindsay, and their followers. So we have an increasingly paranoid president and a Republican Senate majority frozen in fear. Just as in the tale of the emperor’s new clothes, the Senate Republicans see their president clad in beautiful suits and ties. The rest of us see him naked as a jay bird. The ballot box is the great equalizer, and Election Day will arrive soon enough. Just ignore the bluster and follow your heart and head to your nearest polling place.
5
Trump has always harassed anyone who crossed him -- including his fraud victims -- with frivolous civil lawsuits.
Now he can deploy the full might of the United States federal justice against anyone he wants.
It's terrifying where this could go. He admires Kim and Putin.
13
Welcome to the Dictatorship!
It’s been there all along but most people have been “whistling past the graveyard”
6
is this what they call the free world?
6
Fascism requires co opt of the Judiciary. The four attorneys who resigned instead of just following orders are Patriots.
7
Go Mike Go, Win!!
6
Shame on Mc Connell, Collins, Graham, Cruz, Ernst, Alexander and the rest of the cowardly Republicans for bringing us to this point.
12
About 5 years ago on a return flight from New York saw one of the nattiest dressers I have ever seen in my life, and ABH is a clothes horse, or was in my younger days. Everything was perfect, from the regimental tie that matched perfectly the buttoned down shirt to the beautiful blue blazer, custom fitted or at least appeared to be.Asked him if I could borrow his copy of the New York Post and he said "sure!"It turned out to be Roger Stone, and we spoke at length after the flight and asked him if I could send him a c.v.in the form of a thumb print which I did. Well, I was never offered a job, but he did return the thumb print. Stone is not only a student of politics, an operative loyal to TRUMP but a historian of note who is among that pantheon of experts on the regicide in Dallas in November '63 and LBJ's alleged involvement therein. Stone has lectured at Oxford. When Mueller sent SWAT teams to arrest him in early hours of the morning months ago, was it because he was a gang leader or a big time narcotraficante?Negative. It was because Stone supported Trump, had incurred the displeasure of the intel. services plus the DNC plus the liberal media, which had been persecuting our vox populi(Latin for voice of the people)even before his inauguration.Now 7 to 9 years in prison?Why the concerted effort by Dems. with help from intel. agencies and liberal media to go after unfairly a man who won a national election fair and square!
2
@Alexander Harrison Just a fact point, Trump did NOT win the 'national election'. The majority of American voters (by about 3 million) DID NOT vote for him.
He is one of only 5 out of 45 US presidents to take office with the minority of votes.
He won the electoral college vote in just a couple of states, which Trump himself called a 'rigged system'.
2
@EBD :Trump won the Electoral College vote, which is the only one that counts! Did you not take a class in American government in high school or constitutional law in college?
2
Why March 31? Why not TOMORROW?
2
Americans are standing by feeling helpless as the Republican Party sells out the country to a mad wannabe dictator.
The worst aspects of human nature owns the Republicans.
6
In the 80’s, Trump called for the death penalty for the Central Park Five, a group of black and latino men wrongfully accused of rape.
The President has a long history of contributing to an atmosphere of injustice—this just so happens to be the latest example.
7
" ... the president is making [Barr] look like his political lap dog ... " Look like? If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
5
Say what? The president said that the case against “perhaps should not have even been brought” even though Stone threatened to kill the witness??? Oh, I get it, it's okay because Stone is a Trumper. Part of the family. Now that is corrupt.
8
I’m not prone to hyperbole, but good grief... it would seem the checks and balances underpinning our democracy are quickly being subsumed by the autocracy known as Trump.
Really folks, it’s time for EVERYONE, whatever your political affiliation, to take notice and let our elected officials know that enough is enough. No good ever comes from so much power concentrated in so few hands, history has proven this time after time.
166
Over here in England we look with increasing astonishment at what is going on in your country. Every day the essential norms of an open and fair government are chipped away. I really fear for your nation and its people.
7
@T. Johnson Absolutely. I've written perhaps one hundred postcards over the last five months to my own reps and senators, plus Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff and others encouraging them to continue to resist.
About all that stands now between the nation and the deconstruction of the nation is the pool of voters. If WE fail in November who can possibly imagine what the US will look like after four more years of this death spiral?
7
T. Johnson, you may not be prone to hyperbole, but your comment is more Ciceronian than Cicero. Almost Trumpian in its hyperbole.
There is no problem with checks and balances in the president telling prosecutors what to do. The Justice Department is part of the executive branch, and the president has every right to run that department the way he wants.
That's the way the power is balanced. And if voters don't like what the president is doing, they can (and should) vote for someone else.
1
The premise for the article is specious. A custom that emerged over the past 50 years of the president treating the DOJ with kid gloves does not make that custom “sacrosanct” (how often the Times has thrown around like terms describing the supposedly unaccountable powers of government careerists is beyond counting since Trump’s election). There is nothing in the constitution that imparts infallible rights to the DOJ to act above the president in interpreting and applying the law. Agencies such as the DOJ and EPA are under the president, and are not independent branches of government.
2
This is how a democracy slides into becoming an authoritarian tyranny.
Don't believe me?
There are many historical examples, and each should scare the bejeezus out of us.
11
Clearly you now have an Emperor who feels that he can overrule the judiciary and anything else that he does not happen to agree with. I imagine that the Founding Fathers will be rotating in their graves.
5
And here I thought it was the defense attorney's job to argue for mercy in sentencing on behalf of a convicted criminal, instead of the President, the Attorney General, and the Justice Department.
5
All of this could be in a couple of sentences: Mr. Trump crooked; Mr. Barr supports Mr. Trump in all of his endeavors. This is the most corruption-filled presidential administration in American history.
11
in the end it would be the GOP, the party that wraps itself in the flag, that will bring America to her knees. No other political party is as capable id destroying the United States.
9
A shame, watching all these reputations go down the drain. Everything Trump touches goes bad.
11
Prosecutors should make public any Trump pressure or black hand on them.
People has to know which kind of person Trump is, because he joust follows the Mussolini's motto: “with me or against me”.
People should know that the only people Trump accepts in his team are servants and parents, like his daughter and his son in low, joust like a King, not a President.
7
Trump leaned on Barr to influence the sentence suggestion of the prosecutors in the Stone case. Stone and Trump had a long association. What was Trump’s motivation?
Consider the characters. Barr, who believes the president should have the powers of a king, if not the actual title. Trump, a liar and a career crook who doesn’t care about anybody but himself. Stone, a longtime political dirty trickster (and former partner of Paul Manafort) and another type of egomaniac.
Six’ll get you four Stone has dirt of Trump from way back and therefore must be protected.
What a rogues gallery inhabits the drained swamp.
7
Seems like he learned a valuable lesson, right Susan Collins?
12
Forget impeachment. Focus on criminal prosecution of Trump when his tenure ends. Hit him hard and make it stick, including for accomplices like Barr.
9
I suppose if prosecutors stick to the letter of the law rather than political agendas what’s there worry about? It’s almost as if the problem is self correcting if some would just let it.
Lots of questions about the apparent passivity of the of American citizens to the transgressions of Washington politics writ large and the blatant serial abuse of power at the hands of President Trump who is utterly unbridled in his willingness to trample the rule of law or to demonstrate any semblance of honorable conduct in the most blatant and public manner without apparent consequence, or personal and political liability.
No wonder given the intensely tribal character of our ultra partisan political divide and a now long standing Washington reputation and record for political manipulation, blatant disregard for the expectations and priorities of the electorate, or the pandering to powerful and moneyed special interests and most powerful lobbies and the common bending to the imperatives of personal political fortune over honorable service to the nation and the Constitution.
Our democracy is unquestionably under siege from within through the agency of the very Washington political actors who have pledged to uphold the law and sworn to protect and defend the Constitution and to promote the general welfare of the nation.
6
The time for action is now. It's now or never for what is left of our democracy. It's time for an American Spring.
11
Exactly how long will the GOP legislators be able to look the other way and pretend this is not a total abandonment of the rule of law. Has it occurred to them this is only good when your guy ins on top.
6
I dunno- this paves the way for Bernie and the Green New Deal, Universal Healthcare, Jobs Guarantee and UBI, education for all who can succeed at it- the sky is the limit for those who would build America up, just as much as for those who are presently tearing her down.
1
It is clear that conservatives no longer value the rule of law. If the outcome isn't what conservatives want, just rig it, or threaten to issue a retroactive pardon.
7
Stop paying taxes, just like the wealthy. There are not enough jails and police to arrest everyone.
Avoid joining the military, just like the wealthy. Try advancing the American imperialism agenda without a strong military.
These are weak, soft men with no character, running the government. They will fold like a deck of cards at first resistance. Guaranteed .
4
Judges and prosecutors take oaths to not be swayed by the very pressure being applied to them by Donald Trump.
This kind of activity by Trump and Barr are impeachable offenses against both of them (I know they won't be impeached unless Trump is reelected in which case both WILL be impeached).
The best-case scenario for Trump is that he gets reelected, then impeached a second time and perhaps a third time. Otherwise, he gets defeated, indicted, convicted, and imprisoned.
3
As a retired Criminal Defense Attorney and an American. I am sickened by the Republican/Trump destruction of our judicial system. Both the Federal Government and most of the states use a uniform set of sentencing guidelines to make sure that people like Stode don't get a slap on the wrist and someone shoplifting a can of beer doesn't get a long prison sentence based on their age of ethnicity. The Trump/Republican model of American Justice has become one where the rich and connected get off scot free.
13
I prefer the so-called "deep state" over the administration's "Deep Corruption".
11
Abuse of power? Now that we finished Impeachment 2019. Lets start Impeachment 2020. This will really get him in the history books. The real question, have the Republicans learned anything? Have the grown a backbone?
5
Question to Susan Collins: Has he learned his lesson, as you said he would? Yes, now he knows he can do anything.
Question to Lamar Alexander: Is he doing the right thing? Yes, he knows he can do the right thing for him and his buddies.
6
What has happened to this nation? The president, a corrupt narcissist, is abetted and enabled by those who should be upholding the law and the best interests of a democracy. Many years ago, I was thrilled to become a naturalized US citizen--to represent this nation wherever I traveled. Not now. But, I will vote and hope many, many others will do so too.
6
It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.
1
Current US politics is almost a motion picture of John Grisham's novels.
William Barr is Ron Fisk in "the Appeal" who was selected by a billionaire stockholder Carl Trudeau who vows to do whatever is necessary to overturn the verdict on the chemical pollution lawsuit and save the company's stocks. After repeated smear campaign, Fisk defeated liberal incumbent judge and he soon overturned the chemical pollution case.
Sounds familiar?
This is really happening in the US now.
We have to realize how fragile people and democracy are.
4
Impeach Barr.
He refuses to do his job
The Office of the Attorney General was created by the first Congress and signed into law by the first President in order to separate Federal law enforcement from the political office of president. Barr thinks he is Trump's private lawyer. He refuses to do his job. He must be fired.
5
When we 'fear' doing the right thing or enforcing the law because it might not please someone in power, then we're seriously done.
Trump said he could shoot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue and no one would say a thing....apparently, he wasn't wrong.
Thank you Senate Republicans, the Frankenstein you've created is now up off the table.
3
Trump is showing us who he is a wanna be dictator who yearns to run the country as Kim and Putin run theirs. Trump is sticking his nose in every aspect of governing favoring those who are his supporters and attacking those who dare to critique him on any issue. Americans don't realize what it is like to live under a dictatorship and Trump is testing the limits of what he can get away. Attacking war heroes while pardoning war criminals interfering in the criminal justice system to favor his friends and seeking prosecution of his enemies. You may find your neighbors calling the Trump Protection hot line if you critique him in any way and a loyalty to pledge to Trump and Ivanka may be required to get or keep a job. Yes it can happen here and in fact it is.
1
@REBCO Remember we have the right to bare arms !!!!
What could possibly be the argument of a FOX commentator to justify this nonsense?
Glad you wondered about that.
Barr is a reformer (and I suppose by extension, so is Trump). Barr is acting on a "higher calling".
Don't believe it? Go search out the opinion piece.
1
In normal times my pitchfork store would be going gangbusters.
2
Newsbreak:
This looks like a mistrial.
Time to go back to the drawing board.
Ouch!
1
Trump has to pry Democratic Party fingers off every part of the deep state they constructed, and hollow them out. The purge is on! Halleluyah! And that includes within the Justice Department itself. People forget that the Justice Department, the State Department, and the Department of Defense are all part of the Executive branch, and Trump is the Executive in charge. And he's charging!
This is blown way out of proportion. Barr made the decision. Trump talked junk— being his usual irresponsible self. And of the tens of thousands. cases prosecuted each year somewhere between none and one are of pressing to the President. This is a crazy aberration, not a systemic problem. None of us career prosecutors are shaking in our boots. Our reaction is the same as most — “there he goes again”.
instead of being worried and fearful, why can't these lawyers be angry and effective? Are you trying to tell me that one screaming, vindictive man-baby and his vicious enabler can bring down the entire justice system of the United States of America? Despite the Republican bozos in the Senate, there are still smart, powerful people in this country who realize that Trump is a clear and present danger. If they can't stop Trump then our democracy is already gone.
2
The republican party is taking over your country and changing the way USA is govern.
This is not just Trump. This is about a political party that seeks absolute control.
Clinton did not become president despite winning the popular vote with allmost 3million votes. The republicans are working hard to increase their advantage in the electoral system.
We can look forward to at least another 4 years with Trump.
8
Fear is essential to a dictatorship. Which, for all intents and purposes, is what we now have. Yes, it *can* happen here.
21
It *is* happening. We are way past "might".
8
@Dotconnector It IS happening there.
1
Dotconnector, I’m guessing you’ve never lived under a truly authoritarian regime or dictatorship. The U.S. is nowhere near that type of system. We still have the means to fight back, we just need the will to do so.
1
Trumpism is a political catastrophe driven by Republican corruption of the electoral process, as well as Trump/GOP denial of the rule of law and the Constitution. Our political system has never been under greater threat in its entire history.
20
The Republicans know there is no going back. Time to throttle up and see if they can refine the oligarchy to make sure the wealth and power remains with them even if they do not hold the white house or Senate. The Republicans need to do as much damage to the justice department so they survive if they are out of power. We will be wading through the sludge of corruption for decades if and when we eject them from office. As any con which is in danger of being found out, you need to double down to convince the mark that it can't possibly be a con.
16
Once Trump has a firm grasp on the law enforcement powers of the federal government -- aided and abetted by compliant stooges from the Attorney General to the local US Attorneys in key districts -- be very afraid. Very afraid.
13
The main problem seems to be everyone in government service seems to be afraid of Trump, except Democrats in Congress. Why are so many people afraid and of what? Doing the right thing is always the right thing. Why be afraid? There are other places to work should you be fired. More likely, once someone stands up and calls out Trumps behavior, others will follow. Once someone actually stands up to Trump, he backs down, as all bullies do.
12
There are likely large mountains of unimaginable wealth involved.
3
@Thomas G.: Trump's repulsion clears the way to reward his cronies.
Because senators and representatives are more concerned about keeping their seats than doing what is right. Term limits would eliminate that.
1
What Democratic figure has stature to lead a nationwide protest? Obama would not lead such a protest unless it was much worse (how bad would it have to be?). Maybe John Kerry?
It will have to come from outside the.establishment and powered by younger generations as they are the ones at risk of living under an authoritarian.
2
@Not so clear: Protests accomplish nothing in the US. Draftees murdering their officers got the US to withdraw from Vietnam
1
@Steve Bolger I've only heard of 'fragging' as a very uncommon thing during Vietnam. And I've definitely never heard that as a reason we left. I was barely born, I only know about that time from reading, so please enlighten me. I thught - public support was flagging, there were endless protests, people leaving the country to go to Canada to avoid the draft, plus increasing deaths, Walter Cronkite, the expected collapse of the non-democratic South Vietnamese govt., the decreasing support of the people in Vietnam for what we were doing, illegal bombing in Laos and other countries hurt public support. There were a lot of things leading to us leaving.
Eventually, you go down this road far enough, you're no longer operating in a world of safety and sanity. Something for Republicans to think about. Democrats won't always be there to bail them out of their nihilism.
5
Our Republic has rules, many of them actually written down in the Constitution and elsewhere. But more important than the actual, literal law is the custom, and now, unfortunately, the unwritten way presidents conduct their business. We have been lucky, likely since President Jackson’s terms, to have had president who acknowledge their subordination to a greater power, in this case the ideas of Constitution. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lincoln, in times of significant peril, admittedly, pushed these, nearly to their breaking point. Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus and FDR’s imprisoning the Japanese are certainly dark chapters.
But Trump has no reason, apart from his political survival, to push and frankly destroy the delicate balance of our government. His supporters will no doubt argue, similar to Jackson’s, that the “spoil system” is truly democratic: the president, who is the only figure elected by the “people” collectively, should not be constrained by what Trump calls the “deep state”. And the only way for the peoples’ will to be realized is to root out any opposition.
I think this is an asinine, corrosive attitude that will have far reaching and devastating impacts.
9
Point of reference concerning Barr. He was the force behind GHW Bush's pardoning of the Iran Contra facilitators. This was to avoid future judicial problems. The current 45/Barr moves are both impeachable and a crisis to the further separation of powers, and authoritarian. Fox is also complicit in their false defenses of these behaviors. The attempt to paint any legitimate criticism as faux news is a threat to our First Amendment. Only the ignorant or deluded could find these anti democratic republic actions legal and acceptible.
9
The outrageous behavior that we have just witnessed with AG Barr and Donald Trump , is reminiscent of the Stalin era in the Soviet Union. Donald Trump would probably see this as a complement , he’s so delusional and perversely backward in his thinking. But this is not something to be fooling around with. A tyrant and a bully who attacks people on a daily basis needs to be met even more forcefully in return . With autocrats and dictators,it is the only thing that works.
9
Those prosecutors did what the Joint Chiefs should have done after Trump pardoned convicted war criminals. No one should
put up with such corruption.
12
I'm a peaceful person - and probably too old when it comes - if ever. But if the revolution should come, I'll join it. The deeply criminal Barr and his ilk have seen to this.
13
@CitizenTM There is a vast silent majority that will be moved to join you.
1
It CAN happen here. And it is.
13
The man who will be king. Trump waited until he received the all clear from the impeachment hearings and ordered Barr to arrange for a lighter sentence for his friend and Barr the lackey does his bidding.
Abuse of power and the rule of law no longer exists in this country we have a self appointed king.
8
Anyone okay with Trump's meddling just wants a dictator ruling. Control the press, the DOJ, has the GOP look the other way no matter WHAT he does - Trump praises Putin & Kim Jon-Un - we are so through the looking glass. It is madness. I don't care who runs against him, vote for them - anyone who cares about the future of this country, free press, democracy & the Constitution will work hard to defeat Trump in 2020! VOTE HIM OUT!
8
Yes, as Trump noticed the system is rigged.
The young black men convicted unjustly of the rape in central park stayed in jail for many years, and Trump still wants them executed.
Roger Stone with a good lawyer is convicted, and the President pressures the courts not to provide him fair justice.
For any of us in America from Jeff Bezos, to the poor black person, to anyone, do you want this man making decisions that affect you.
7
We’re clear in the dictatorship realm. The Democratic candidate must run against the dictator. Maybe that will wake a few people up.
3
"... the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. ..." — FDR
2
Can't wait to see AG Barr behind bars.
5
Just a little heads up.
The only person more popular with Republicans than DJT is
Attorney General William P. Barr.
The Democrats are going to have to come up with a better team than the Three Muskateers (Pelosi, Schiff & Nadler), if they want to go down that worn out street called impeachment again.
1
P&L
I can think of two people more popular than trump.
Kim Young Un and Putin.
Their free and happy people love them. They show it with their free and fair elections.
2
Barr should be disbarred (as Barr has clearly dissed his ethics and Constitutional oath).
6
Isn't is possible for whatever state Barr has his law license in to to disbar him?
2
So this is how it is now...Trump covers for his corrupt cronies and punishes his "enemies."
Corrupt AG Bob "Trumper" Barr covers for Trump.
All normal people understand that this is abuse of power and unmitigated corruption. Republicans will stand meekly by...until Trump starts siccing Barr on Republican Senators and charging them with imagined crimes. Then we may see a few of them fight back. It may be too late by then.
Trumpers, this is your fault. All real Americans see your corruption and are disgusted by your deplorable actions.
3
Strange that Barr did not learn the lessons after Watergate. Maybe he was secretly chaffing at being "independent?" Well, now we see that he is all to eager to do Trumps bidding in any way that will help out Trumps criminal cronies. It makes me wonder if Trump has some dirt on Barr. Or is Barr really just a closet fringe ultra right winger who truly believes in the Imperial Presidency and so demonstrates his undying sycophancy at every opportunity?
3
So, the Trump Justice Dept is just SO dysfunctional they've already filed multiple indictments and obtained a guilty plea from former Goldman Sachs head of Southeast Asian operations Tim Leissner in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB Malaysian banking scandal. This in contrast to the Obama Administration's AG Eric Holder, who, in the aftermath of the worst financial crisis in 60 years, was unable to find a single major player to indict.
Why do I doubt this comment will make it past the Winston Smith-like screeners at the Times, where any suggestion that Dems are in the tank with the Financial Services industry is immediately excised.
1
Barr so low it's serving snakes.
4
All the judges that stand for the law and know it's improper to intervene should stand up, speak up and be firm. They fear Trump? It's rediculous. Are they all spineless Republicans?
Is this what the Senate expected from the conmam that had "learned his lesson"?
I can't wait til Nov!
Everyone stop with this nonsense of fear and just work to get these criminal administration out!
4
I am sure the prosecutors were working with sentencing guidelines when they made the recommendation. For those that don't know what those are, e.g. those that watch Fox news, the guidelines are designed to equalize sentences for defendants based on their conviction. In this case, Trump tweets, Barr jumps, and the next thing you know there's a whole new recommendation. So if Trump can corrupt the federal courts, the local courts can get corrupted too, and pretty soon you've got a banana republic. My hope is that the Judge does the right thing, even though she's probably surrounded by security because of Trump supporters. Disgusting.
187
@Carol lee That's an interesting theory but it's factually wrong.
The AG office overruled the sentencing recommendation before Trump said boo about it.
The fact the 4 were all members of Mueller's hit squad on Russia should tell you all you need to know.
the fact they all 4 resigned yesterday confirms it.
6
@Erica Smythe - None of this is true. One was a member of the Special Prosecutor's team (and how do you describe it as a hit squad when Mueller pointedly declined to accuse Trump of a crime despite sufficient evidence?)
Two, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia was pushing for a lesser sentence before Trump tweeted (note: this is a different person from the Attorney General). The line prosecutors stood firm because their recommended sentence was entirely in line with the federal sentencing guidelines. That a Barr crony was pushing for an inappropriately light sentence before Trump tweeted doesn't make this better.
Three, the Attorney General didn't get involved until after the Trump tweet. That was the point when a new recommendation was filed with the court.
Four, only one prosecutor resigned from the DOJ. The other three withdrew from the case in an act of protest to call attention to the completely inappropriate politicization of the Justice Department. It was an act of personal bravery from all four.
13
@Erica Smythe No you are wrong. Those ARE the sentencing recommendations. Please check again somewhere other than Fox News.
8
Standing between autocratic anarchy and the rule of law is Judge Amy Berman Jackson. She cannot be fired or removed at the will of the president. She would have to be impeached. (Anyone think Nancy would be on board with that?) So let her impose the sentence SHE chooses to be fair; judges have that right. Not the president, not the AG, but the judge in the case.
301
Washington would be a ghost town if they locked up everyone who lied to Congress, or took a tax deduction that they didn't deserve. Mr. Stone's sentence was excessive, meant to punish Trump. Barr was right to fix it and the President will pardon him after the next election.
3
@farhorizons At the end of the day, however, none of it matters. Trump will do his usual song and dance routine pretending he hasn't already decided to pardon Stone and to pardon him at a time and in a manner that will "own the libs".
Things are, to put it bluntly, not good.
12
@farhorizons
agree-then let Trump pardon him.
They know he can be pardoned, so why this...
because it looks very powerful, we can do anything, and also because it "will go away". Pardons are not generally favored by the public.
9
One consequence of a system that keeps so many people struggling just to keep their rent/mortgage paid is that those folks cannot afford the time and expense to march on Washington. When you can't miss a half day of work without risking your job (and health insurance that is tied to it), it is next to impossible to publicly protest in any meaningful way. It makes me better understand why desperate people will sometimes self-immolate. Most of us are treading water as fast as we can just to survive. And Donald, Barr, Mitch and the rest of the GOP are counting on that.
35
Reading much of the comments, I am greatly disturbed at the continued fighting among people and the great disregard for doing what is right, honorable and serving the greater good. This country is the "UNITED" States of America... and government is supposed to be "FOR the PEOPLE." When we can stop having "us vs them" arguments, maybe we can come back and remember that it is all "US," ultimately.
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
- Abraham Lincoln
14
@Alice
Please propose who and what is US now?
Obama very much lived the ideal of US and was completely defeated by those who have no desire to think of US. How often did he want to build bridges? How often shall we turn the other cheek?
Civil war is here. It is real. It is digital. And the weapons are invisible.
The collapse of the nation at the hands of the Republicans and enabled by the complacent is real and fast. Dictatorship is the last stage before complete collapse. It can happen. It will happen.
3
Wonderful system when legal professionals are afraid of doing what they are trained to do. Autrocracy, pathocracy, sad banana republic? I don't know what the USA is anymore. It's certainly not great anymore. Good job Trump.
20
There is a saying "give credit where credit is due".
Let me borrow it and say "give blame where blame is due". On the Roger Stone case, don't just blame Putin's Donny and Barr though they are surely guilty of impropriety. Place the blame squarely on Donny's enablers - specially the GOP Senators - as well. They encouraged Hump's worst instincts by acquitting his treasonous behavior. So now he feels he is George III.
12
When the top political figure in a nation gets involved in its legal system the end of democracy is near. Trump must be defeated and ultimately indicted and imprisoned for his many crimes.
22
people are more upset and distraught about a guy who can bounce a ball dying then the rule of law dying.
9
Criminal cases are now subject to political influence from the White House. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
7
I am hereby announcing my candidacy for president of the United States in 2024.
I have prior executive experience having been elected president of my fraternity twice, I've never filed bankruptcy, married only once (still am !), relatively intelligent (I'm allowed to hold an active medical license), not a conspiracy theorist, don't feel sorry for myself, get along with others. How bad could I be?
Worst case scenario, I go down as the second worst president in history.
Stay tuned.
First, 2/13, 9:15AM
5
Enough!
This is worse than a banana republic. Do we have a Supreme Court we can go to?
Pelosi and Schumer, resign. Plenty of people there could do a better job!
1
At Blunt: Name two.
Perhaps the more interesting story is what Trump has NOT said. He has not said that Stone is innocent.
He has not said the jury of Stone’s peers are idiots.
He has not said that jury trials are the worst way to determine guilt or innocence.
He has not said that proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt is the worst way to judge a person.
I suspect once Stone is sentenced, however, he will attack our entire judicial system of trial by jury and proof beyond a reasonable doubt,
If he does, maybe even his most cowardly Republican supporters will finally speak up.
Of all people who have remained silent, I am most appalled by John Cornyn.
In Texas, he was a District Court judge, the Attorney General for the State, and a Supreme Court justice.
Of all people, he should be speaking out on Trump’s horribly wrong conduct.
9
I guess I spoke too soon, I now read Trump is claiming the jury was tainted.
Sounds like a mix of a desperate man, cry baby, and dictator.
2
This affair is dangerous, cancerous, and probably lethal to our Republic. When enough people finally wake up to the realization that the rule of law has been completely subverted, then the only recourse left is revolution - or, as demonstrated by our noble Republican Senators, abject surrender.
5
Nothing will change unless people WAKE UP!
4
We all have to ask ourselves, if Trump "wins" a second term through the electoral college, what are we going to do. General strikes? Bluexit? Meek acceptance as we watch the American experiment circle down the drain?
1
With Trump's acquittal, we've now entered the Orwellian realm of "1984" where "Revenge is Justice" and the Department of Justice is "The Ministry of Truth." Big Brother Trump is now in charge. We can only hope that, after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, allowed a completely sham trial to be held with nary a word of dissent, that other judges will step forward to defend the Constitution and its "rule of law." Otherwise, as Adam Schiff prophesied, "We are lost."
22
Trump has essentially stopped any form of checks and balances in one half of the legislative branch and is moving towards taking over the judiciary branch. The only course left, the only thing that will stop this man is a massive revolution. Not by firing a shot, but by voting this regime out of office, that is of course if we are even allowed to do that.
15
@Vito: I agree, but I would insert “... and the Republican Senate majority...” after “Trump”.
1
At the end of WWII, many of the State prosecutors and judges of the defeated German regime were tried, found guilty and sentenced at Nuremberg, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Hopefully, William Barr and his political stooges, who are currently corrupting the US Department of Justice in much the same manner, are aware of what their actions can muster like consequences. We live in a period of evil under Trump. But good will return.
9
@ Joe, good luck with that “good will return” thing. The Rubicon has been crossed and as George Will recently noted , this bell can’t be un-rung. The genie has been let loose.
3
More importantly, how much is her salary?
Barr understands that prosecutors follow an explicit set of criteria in determining sentence recommendations. He further understands that this methodology does produce recommendations that assure that all are treated equally under the law. He further knows that defense counsel is free to challenge these and that the final decision is in the hands of the judge in court. Barr understands that he is interfering with the system of justice to give arbitrary political authority the ability to make our laws conditional upon who is involved. That’s Barr, a man determined to turn Presidents into self motivated rulers.
14
Could there be a call for in-depth medical analyses of William Barr, including mental wellness assessments? Of course such exams must be mandatory for the president (aren't they?), but perhaps his top enablers must also have some meaningful, precautionary vetting.
It is fairly clear that a well-functioning democracy cannot become the ranging pasture for unbalanced despotic types. Obviously our public combined with the ancient electoral college stasis cannot alone protect the nation.
8
If anything, this mess with Trump should be a wake up call. Our form government just doesn't work. The president has far too much power. In what world should Supreme Court justices have lifetime appointments. The voters should be electing them to four year terms. The EC ? Scrap it. This isn't the 18th century anymore. Eligible voters are informed and news travels fast. We don't need an 'educated' delegate voting for us because we can only write our names with an 'X'. One person, one vote. The people of this country should be steering the ship, not the majority party.
16
Every President has the right to express his opinion regarding the sentencing of individuals, whether or not they were part of his campaign or administration; and instruct the executive branch to follow his policies.
HAL is the only apolitical, unbiased entity in our present universe and he knows that since the landing on Plymouth Rock, 'Every politician and bureaucrat is a crook' to the opposite party.
2
It was just his opinion. It certainly was unbecoming for someone in his position to give it. But Since when does someone's opinion constitute interference? Sure the President is no one's cup of tea but do we really have to blow up everything he says or does into a national catastrophe? The press takes the bait every time. Just like when he was running for the job in 2016 the press prints and analyzes his every word. I have an idea, lets do what our parents taught us when we were children and faced someone who offended our sensibilities, ignore him. That would drive him crazy.
6
@George When your boss recommends something, do you take it as a suggestion you can ignore? Do you remember what happened to AG Sessions when he did not tale Trump’s hints?
3
@ George
Ignoring him will not sell tv ads.
1
Barr is happy to comply with any request from Trump. Anything that will get him a nomination to RBG's supreme court seat when she is forced to step down for health reasons. A fast nomination, a fast-track confirmation by the GOP senate, and SCOTUS will be changed for a generation. That's why it appears Barr is "taking initiative" on Trump's tweets - he's his man.
8
Where is the House?
It should have already subpoena’d Barr, and warmed up a jail cell to let him know contempt will have real consequences.
This is a real emergency.
20
But I thought Conservatives likes smaller government? Why would a republican president want the Justice Department to intervene for one of his friends, who was justly convicted.
6
@vi
I thought conservatives liked small government too. But consider this quote from former chief justice William Rehnquist:
“Adherence to precedent is not an inexorable command.”
That’s what conservative judges say when they want to legislate from the bench and that’s what the Tea Party says when a Republican president runs up the debt /deficit.
And that’s what Republican lawmakers say when they are afraid of a Republican president. 
3
I’m old enough to remember when Nixon said, “when the president does it, that means it’s not illegal.” The current occupant of the oval office has expanded on this wonderful unitary executive concept slightly. When friends of the president do it...
6
Everyone should keep in mind that it's not just Trump who is corrupt. It's the entire Republican party that stands by and does nothing (with the possible exception of Mitt Romney).
Forty-nine percent of the public approves of Trump. What does this say about our country?
27
@Eric
That America doesn't do Smart, it never really has. America, on balance, doesn't read much, doesn't travel, and doesn't care. That people support a *potus who had to have what happened at Pearl Harbor explained to him. That people who still support this have NO idea of what's coming.
2
Hi America, Canada here.
We're just wondering why you're all sitting around watching your country fall into a well of sepsis and not doing anything but sighing and eating Doritos? Wondering why you're not out in the streets in the scores of millions, shutting down the railways, the highways, the stock market, and generally making the country and its economy grind to a halt until your overlord steps down?
Now that YOUR FEDERAL JUDICIARY IS COMPROMISED, you know what your new king will do next, right? He's going to look at the last thing that can stop him: The US military. He's going to start deleting all possible enemies in the higher ranks and then, with the remainder on side, he'll purge the ranks of all dissenters down to the last grunt. Then he'll start rewarding all the generals and other senior ranked folks with plum gigs and sweet side hustles to ensure that no angry troops come storming into the White House or one of his golden monstrosities and take him, his family and his allies away in handcuffs.
So if that's what you all want, that's your call. But if not, what's your next move? Please let us know up here because -- to paraphrase one of your great satirists, Tom Lehrer -- we're all starting to feel like Christian Scientists with appendicitis.
Much love,
Canada
42
@Paul
I know all this may sound a bit dodgy, but you have to remember, we are an exceptional nation
1
So, what happens next—of course—is that the judge imposes a sentence similar to the original request and that's seen a bias by the prez. Then the pardon gets rolled out.
2
The DOJ reports to the President. He is their boss. He has every right to give suggestions to that department. The Stone case was a travesty. One of the jurors was a Democrat activist who frequently posted derogatory remarks about Trump, Stone and Barr. The sentence proposed by DOJ prosecutors was longer than established guidelines. So, what did Trump do? He had Barr write a letter to the court suggesting the DOJ recommended incarceration was too long and asking the court to decide on its own. That's well within his rights and a correct call. The sentence was obviously too long. The prosecutors who quit included Johathan Kravis, Assistant White House Counsel under Obama, Aaron Zelinksy, who wrote an article in 2013 requesting courts encouraging leaking and Adam Jeb who clerked for liberal justice Stevens on SCOTUS. All three served under Mueller in his failed Russian interference debacle. All three have Democratic biases. And all three are thin-skinned to quit over this.
3
@R.R ok, and if you or a member of your family ends up in Court, you'd like the Governor of your State to call in suggestions to the Judge. Got it.
@Carol lee If I was in court, and the Governor's Executive branch State Department of Justice recommended to the courts that my sentence be longer than established guidelines, you bet I'd want the Governor to write a letter to the Judge recommending a sentence along those guidelines. So would you.
Of course the initial sentencing recommendation by the prosecutors of Roger Stone was blatantly excessive, political and partisan and everyone knows it. But as usual, the Dems in their desperation to smear President Trump instead make themselves look petty, vindictive and not smart.
So yet another investigation conceived by, produced by, directed by, choreographed by and starring the Dems will most likely reveal:
- the prosecutors, along with the judge in this case, are biased partisans (can't wait to see their emails, texts and social media posts of the last 10 years leaked out in dribs and drabs)
- the jury foreperson is an extreme anti-Trumper as exposed in her social media commentary and therefore she is biased and should never have been allowed to sit on the jury. She has tainted the whole trial and jury
- the DOJ, days before President Trump ever opined, had already told the prosecutors that the sentencing recommendation was excessive and to change it
- the DOJ decision to change the sentencing recommendation was in process (or completed) before President Trump let loose with his opinion
- the President, like anyone else, is allowed to have and voice an opinion
- AG Barr acts under his own discretion -- AG Barr is not the President's Wing Man
- the Dems (and msm) will fail again in their attempts to bring down the President and will send more voters over to President Trump, yet again
When will they ever learn?
2
@KathyS
Faithful reciting of the FOX talking points. You win a red maga hat, made in China.
NO - not everybody knows it. That is just another of these lines that intellectually lame, but deceitful commentators use, to appear above the fray.
3
Everyone and anyone can now be afraid. Very afraid.
My take:
We lost an opportunity to trump Trump by not directing the Sargent at Arms of the House of Representatives to detain the legally subpoenaed individuals , some that would have been strolling down the halls there close by. That green lighted Trump to go full fascist... he got the message and is ten times harder to stop now. In most fight situations one must overcome fear and strike early. Once missed, that opportunity will not usually return.
6
Please contribute to the opponents Senators Murkowski, Collins, Graham, and McConnell.
I am sure each of you can spare ten bucks to save our democracy.
15
The Personality that parades as a President protects his people at any cost. And the country pays the price for his bruised and bloated ego.
5
Thanks Mitch...this is on you.
7
Bill Barr has sold his soul. It's a shame isn't it? He used to known for integrity. Now all diminished. And for what, I'd like to know.
6
What a bunch of phony baloney. All these prosecutors can quit. There are literally thousands of qualified lawyers hungry for the chance to take their jobs and will not cry for a 'safe space' because the POTUS is pressuring them.
1
Disbar Bill Barr . . . Now that’s what I’m talking about!
Enough said, without further delay!
7
The DOJ needs a mass resignation. Gut the department. If Barr is there to do Trump's bidding, people need to quit.
4
Awww! It’s so cute watching our democracy grow up and turn into a dictatorship. Now we’ll be able to play with the big kids on the playground!
6
Trump's tactic: transparently overt corruption cannot be unlawful as it is done in full view as fodder for his sycophants.
4
You begin to see the Dictator, and his henchmen doing his bidding. This is just the beginning of what will happen. He has been emboldened, and will go where no man has gone before. And the GOP sit on their hands watching as our Democracy goes up in flames.
5
Trump is making Richard Nixon look like a saint. Nixon used burglary tools to break into the DNC - Trump used the Russians and Stone was the bag man. None of this would be possible if it weren't for the greatest mind control machine every invented: Twitter. And BTW Twitter is happy with all this as long as they make money off it. Such corruption the world has never seen!
5
Is it just a matter of time until people who oppose Trump start “disappearing?” Don't be surprised.
12
Do NOT let Barr and Trump and their cronies take over our democracy. This will not stand.
3
Enough hand wringing. At this time we need hope that Congress has started to take action.
Nadler will hold House Judiciary Committee hearings on the DOJ's role in the Stone case and Barr has agreed to testify. That will be in March and it's a beginning, but how about some statements of what might be accomplished by the hearings. Is the hearing the end goal?
What else is being done? A web search turned up an NBC blog listing comments from Schumer and Kamala Harris; both called for the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings. But the Chair of that committee is Graham, so they should know that's a non-starter. Pelosi went on twitter with her criticisms, but that hardly seems to reflect her great power as the Speaker.
The only substantive statement I've read is from Warren, as reported in the Guardian yesterday. She called for Congress to use its power of the purse to defund the AG's authority to interfere with Trump related legal issues. She also called for an independent DOJ task force to investigate Trump administration crimes and for the House to start impeachment hearings against Barr if he does not resign. I don't know how feasible these actions would be, but at least Warren tells us these tools are available. I wonder if the rest of Congress knows there are specific actions, beyond simply wringing their hands with us, that are within Congressional powers. But that's what makes Warren unique; she knows how to use legislation to get to her goals.
8
When the Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf went after the courts, the Human Rights Commission and the rule of law, the lawyers went to the streets to march against it. They marched from Karachi to Islamabad -- i.e. across the country to the capital -- and all along the way they picked up support and followers. By the time they reached Islamabad they could not be ignored, and the government fell not to much later.
There are five rights in the 1st Amendment, not two. The right of assembly and the right to confront the government with grievances are there as a check and balance against just moments like this one.
34
I just hope that this time the sentences are for life without parole as they should have been for all involved in the Nixon admin crimes.
4
The Stone issue is another collateral issue resulting from the desperate democratic attempt to smear president Trump. Prosecutors quitting just another issue to highlight the never ending battle against Trump.
4
@JerryDavenport Trump smears himself with his unethical and amoral behavior. Democrats aren’t smearing him, we are calling out his criminality!
@Jerry Davenport
If an antifa activist threatened to harm witnesses against him in a trial, would you feel the same? Why do Trump cultists always throw the rules out the window when they apply to team Trump?
Are you not aware that Trump is breaking the norms and traditions of our government, as well as laws that apply to you and me?
1
“Numerous legal scholars say that Mr. Trump has shredded norms that kept presidents in check for decades, undermining public trust in federal law enforcement.”
Kiss good-bye to all the norms that has kept presidents in check. Trump’s absolutist & despotic inclination leads him to proudly proclaim: “I have absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department!”
15
Some people get better as they age, other's worsen (Bill Barr), but ultimately, what we are when no one is looking is what we are.
Dysfunction leaks. The more leaks, the more mess. Washington D.C., 2020.
4
The test is on. Will we save our independent institutions or not? This is a step towards losing democracy, ,media, justice voting rights all attacked. Why? Greedy special interests, fearful religious groups, and ignorant fearful public.A unethical self centered man who is using and being used by these groups.
Its time to take off the gloves and fight back as if our society depended on it.
7
Why does Trump seem to want to talk with the press while meeting with foreign leaders in the oval, his wife propped up on the edge of the couch. Perhaps he thinks it lends credibility to the lies he's spewing? What a scene, over and over again.
2
I seem to recall the Republicans, with Lindsey Graham leading the way, were all up in arms about the tarmac meeting between former president Clinton and the then Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Accusations of favoritism, interference, collusion, miscarriage of justice, oh my. Now Republican President Trump openly, and brazenly interferes in matters before the courts by taunting prosecutors, taunting judges, taunting former jury members, and taunting witnesses. All felonies mind you. Attorney General Barr genuflects as usual before Trump. The Republicans, as is their usual response to further trespasses on the rule of law and civil society by Trump, sit there either silent, or like Graham, defend the president's actions. The house ought to start right now the process to impeach Barr.
13
I guess I'm dreaming, but what would happen if the entire top tier of the Justice Department threatened to resign after telling Barr that either he goes or they go? People need to start finding their backbones and stand up to this incredibly corrupt administration. It would have been great if this had started with the Senate!!
9
@Liberal Lee
Backbone...guess that's what' missing in most government employees, regardless of their status.
1
But when the prosecution poisons the well by beginning with a complete fraud, and their fruit harvest is largely the product of entrapment, perhaps DOJ makes a good point. Not to mention the average sentence for a violent rapist is HALF of what’s recommended here.
3
Sure. He’s on tape for threatening to kill a witness.
3
@Robert L Smalser
Roger Stone was represented in court by some high power lawyers. Your argument would have been an appropriate defense argument. If it was raised, it failed with the jury. He was convicted of criminal acts in a fair trial.
Every criminal thinks they're completely justified. Trump believes all his criminal friends are justified. I think they all belong in jail.
How is sending a message that if you help the president they have your back not an impeachable offense?
Further by threatening to go after Comey, Wray and others using the office of the president and his corrupted also not impeachable under abuse of power?
Trump's super power is he understand the laws are only for fools that believe in them. Not a good look for the leader of our country. Not illegal but not a good look.
I guess the MEGA people believe laws are only for democrats and minorities.
2
Why aren't these prosecutors speaking publicly with a unified voice? Why no full-page letter in the Times or WaPo? Why just cower before off-the-record remarks on how afraid you are? Someone needs to stand up and say "Enough." We will not be enslaved by a madman autocrat--even if he holds the position of White House Occupant. Will no one act?
20
@farhorizons
When you ask will no one act, WE MUST ACT.
Don’t wait for someone else to act, do so today.
It is our democracy, not theirs, not someone else’s.
If you want to love in a Democracy, we must work for it, keep it, protect it.
2
Government prosecutors fear? As a citizen, this does not give me confidence. These are the protectors of our legal system. Have they no recourse against a rogue AG? I'm not particularly sentimental, but today I'm missing the '60's when there would be hundreds and hundreds of protesters raising a stink outside the justice department. Protests work people, I'm ready.
15
Prosecutors have stood up to the mafia, drug cartels, the Klan, and various other organizations who have tried to kill them. Now they must once again stand firm against corruption. The more people who stand up against a person like Trump, the less ability he has to enact reprisals against any of them.
20
Really starting to wonder if anyone cares about anything any more. Liberals are exhausted from fighting and getting nowhere. Republicans looking the other way. The Trump base not listening. The Trump campaign will be spending a billion dollars in a massive social media disinformation campaign with 3,000 data points on each and every one of us. This country is getting put through the ringer and seems nobody will care unless the economy tanks.
15
I don't blame the President. The President is trying to correct the political excesses of a law enforcement system he sees as biased against him and his team. Some prosecutors are very biased and it shows in their sentencing recommendations.
Whatever they end up doing in sentencing I think the President should expunge the record from Mr. Stone once it's all said and done.
5
@USMADE McBride I'm amazed that despite of trump's countless lies and corrupted actions that trump supporters still blindly support him. This is the definition of "cult"! Cannot believe that you even suggest "expunge" Stone's record.
5
You get that Roger Stone had a trial and an excellent defense, threatened the judge, was convicted by a jury of his peers for seven felonies that included threatening witnesses, and was awaiting sentence after a prosecutorial recommendation that was well within the sentencing guidelines, right?
And you get that Trump lies about pretty much everything, yes? How about the simple fact that the Justice Department is spozed to be independent of any President’s whims?
4
@USMADE McBride
Why?
If a different person, maybe some socialist or antifa activist you don't like, did the same thing Stone did, would you still want his misdeeds expunged? Do you think people should be free to lie under oath, or threaten harm to court witnesses? How can society tolerate that?
Having a special set of laws applicable only to your enemies is authoritarianism and corruption. I will never accept that from America.
This is what dictatorships look like with very different sets of rules for those at the top. But dictatorships don't happen without the willfulness of some, the willful ignorance of others, and the willing indifference of many more. In other words the entire republican party and every last one of its voters is now complicit in the destruction of American Democracy. As flawed as it may, the prospect of a Trump/Republican led autocracy should be horrifying to everyone.
Anyone who doesn't vote in the coming election will carry with them the shame if Trump is elected.
14
How can any attorney continue working for an AG who is nakedly politicizing the prosecutorial process? How can they reconcile their ethical obligations with Barr's professed desire to do Trump's personal bidding?
As of right now, the USAG is no longer a law enforcement agency--indeed, by doing Trump's personal bidding, Barr has admitted that his is an ILLEGAL organization, bound not by the Constitution or legal ethics, but only by Trump's desires. How can the rest of America honor an institution that has been so corrupted. Why should any of us agree to honor a subpoena or other request from such a naked corrupt organization?
The rule of law is no more. Trump is not beholden to the rule of law, and now the Attorney General of the United States is operating outside of the law. One could get upset or distraught, bu me, I'm ANGRY, and I'm ready to fight in the streets to bring back America.
4
Good government involves norms as well as rules of law.
Throughout his life, Donald Trump has shown contempt for the law and all norms of behavior. For cheating, Republicans have voted him their Most Valuable Player.
How you play the game matters. When will we care as much about fair play in government as we do about sports?
6
The judge could intervene and ignore the DOJ AND Trump. As a deterrent she should discourage interference. Roger Stone was convicted by a jury of his peers. I assume that his attorneys presented all relevant information regarding the FISA warrants.
7
When and how will trump’s destruction end? Will it ever? I don’t think it will.
Republicans show no resistance. Democrats can only do so much. The public seems mostly apathetic. Yeah sure, a lot are angry but what else can they really do to effect change? Yes, we can vote but anyone who thinks trump will vacate the office peacefully might be as delusional as he is.
I know that this situation can’t go on forever but by the time a reckoning comes, I think there won’t be much left of this country.
323
@Chris Connolly
When Trump is defeated he will be escorted out by the military. I have total confidence in the integrity of the armed forces to execute their mission.
30
@Chris Connolly
I agree. Trump has already cried 'coup' to defend himself from impeachment. The GOP sails on, with very few defending our democracy, but then, going along with the majority.
Every day, I read more and more about how Trump proves he is an autocrat, above the law, doing whatever he pleases, which is making himself the all too powerful leader who's only interest is himself and his family.
I do not know which Democrat will make the best president, but I'm feeling it won't much matter if Trump and the GOP cancel elections... right out of the dictators playbook.
21
@Siegfried It probably won't happen though until we get in the streets and in their faces.
The fundamental problem though is really somewhat outside of Trump, and is really easy to identify. Trump has his power because he has convinced people he's causing great econmic benefit. The answer is twofold: it isn't really hot and it isn't really Trump doing anything.
But more than that -- this sickness in the nation results from the incredible allegiance we have to 'economic expansion'. We are sick with money-over-everything.
39
The current administration, all of them, clearly attended Papa Doc Duvalier University. The horrible part is the realization our Constitution, which we have been so inappropriately proud of, isn't the fabulously perfect document we imagined and has made us just as vulnerable to corruption, dictators, and politicized decisions as any country we previously looked down on. Where is hope? How, on earth, do we create hope?
4
What would Vladimir want? Don't forget the conspiracy Trump has with Russia to undo the post WWII world order established by the West. It is playing out right in front of us!
5
"We The People" are now on our own. So what are we going to do about it?
2
Easy: vote for Bernie.
Only way out of being a Banana Republic.
1
@Blunt: Dream on, silly dreamer! Sanders is just who Trump wants to face; Sanders is one opponent Trump has no fears over.
Sanders will get crushed like a grape by Trump.
The left has been using every angle of government to thwart this presidency. The FBI just made up stuff to get the FISA on Page. Let’s just admit the fact that the federal government employees are by far lefties. DC voted 96% Clinton. The people that live and work at our nations capital are all lefties. Trump has tried to work with these people. But these people have been against him since day one. The whistle blower wouldn’t have come forward if Obama wanted the Ukraine to investigate republicans. He would have welcomed it.
The prosecutor that quit worked for Ginsburg and Merrick. The prosecutors were all lefties. They weren’t after justice. They were after revenge of anything Trump. Trump is draining the swamp as promised.
14
@Jim
A jury of Americans, who were vetted and se!ected by Roger Stone's defense, found him guilty of felonies, including lying to protect Donald Trump. Donald Trump is seeking to nullify their decision, and subject the people's Justice Department to his dictates. The American democracy has reached a critical moment, and it is past time for those in the Justice Dept., Treasury, FBI, and every government agency, to stand up and save our nation from a would be Putin, or worse.
Trump is the swamp of dictatorship.
34
@Jim
The NYT is like a drug dealer, supplying those addicted to their animus towards Trump.
7
Jim,
Unfortunately there is a slight problem with your speculation. Most of the folks in all of the institutions you mentioned were Republicans. Not “lefties.”
21
Might have a Roger Stone mistrial in the making here.
Former Memphis City Schools Board President Tomeka Hart revealed Wednesday that she was the foreperson of the jury that convicted former Trump adviser Roger Stone on obstruction charges last year -- and soon afterward, her history of Democratic activism and a string of her anti-Trump, left-wing social media posts came to light.
Hart even posted specifically about the Stone case before she voted to convict, as she retweeted an argument mocking those who considered Stone's dramatic arrest in a pre-dawn raid by a federal tactical team to be excessive force. She also suggested President Trump and his supporters are racist and praised the investigation conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which ultimately led to Stone's prosecution.
7
Ever seen the movie “Get Me Roger Stone”?? See if you can.
This man should have been in jail a long time ago. Then we wouldn’t be where we are now with him!
210
@jaco
Stone has been busy breaking the law for decades. That's why he should have been punished.
8
@Edith Read
Most of us are completely familiar with the perverted existence of the dirty trickster. The bottom line here, though, is that the Republican Party should cease to exist for allowing individual 1 to even be considered as a candidate for the office of the President of the United States. I will work till the day I die to see the Republican Party dissolved because of that. The Republican party is a domestic enemy that you knowingly allowed a compromised, convicted fraud to hack our elections.
11
@jaco I don't want to be rude, but this is dumb. He is not going to be punished "based on some documentary," but by the judicial system within the sentencing guidelines that would apply to anyone else after prosecutors proved his guilt to a jury of his peers.
6
Trump, Barr, Collins... 2020 is looking like a banner year for the GOP.
“Even assuming that Bill Barr is acting with integrity, it is impossible for people to believe that because the president is making him look like his political lap dog..."
That would be a very poor assumption (that Barr even POSSESSES any integrity), and he seems more than happy to act as Trump's lap pooch and criminal co-conspirator.
Here's hoping he meets the same fate as John Mitchell, along with his traitorous "client."
3
In what world do Democrats scream for longer prison sentences for old sick people? Trump world!
2
@Buster Dee
no one is screaming for a longer term.
45 and his doj are asking for a shorter term.
the term appointed is federal guidelined.
please, pay closer attention; we must stick with the facts.
2
Pure interference and obstruction of justice by the President and the AG. This time it is for the President‘s personal gain and the protection of a co-conspirator. What is it going to take take to rid us of this egomaniac and his disciples? In my humble opinion, I doubt think that our republic can survive much longer on life support. We need to impeach and convict them and with all deliberate speed.
2
Has everyone forgotten about Barr’s Father and the link to Epstein and the corresponding link to Trump?
Come on!!!
4
The deep state is deeply held professionalism, dedication to country, adherence to principles, codes of conduct, and values that transcend party and are foundational to America.
This is what Trump finds objectionable and this is central to why he must be removed from office one way or another.
8
Within one week we’ve seen what Trump will do, and how Republicans will respond.
He’ll do anything at all to punish his enemies and use the justice department to act as his own personal police force.
If the polls don’t favor him, we should be prepared for some trump-created crisis - don’t forget, he has the nuclear codes - and then a state of national emergency. Right around November.
I don’t think we’re going to have an election. At all.
2
As Rachel Madow pointed out last night, we are nigh upon the end of the basic ideas of Democracy and the Rule of Law, thanks, not only to Trump, but to the entire Republican Cult. It began undermining democracy with the "Southern Strategy" of Lee Atwater, Paul Manifort, and Roger Stone (wonder why Trump is desperate to save him?), escalated when Obama became president (it has always been easy to generate lies and opposition to black people in this country, especially, uppity young black men), and, now, what used to be a Department of Justice has become a Department of Trump Injustice and vengeance.
7
What separates US from some authoritarian-'democracy' is its rule of law, separation of powers, freedom of speech, independent media.
Now, under this President, US is gradually drifting toward a banana republic- criticism and disagreements are purged and FEAR is being used regularly as a tool to govern.
1
Americans, we need to stop rolling over and taking this injustice from the POTUS and republican party now.
The myth that Trump has the support of the majority of Americans is just that, a myth. Do the math.
Only 55% of registered voters bothered to vote in 2016. Trump lost the popular vote by over 2.7 million Americans.
Abolish the Electoral College, Citizen's United and gerrymandering and you will see in 2020 who the majority of American's support and it won't be Trump.
11
Federal prosecutors have a track record of over-charging, and as a result they lose cases and lose the public's confidence. They should fear oversight...they need it! The Stone case's prosecutors all have a political agenda, not a "justice" agenda. That's obvious in their sentencing request.
3
@J. G. Smith: Federal prosecutors already have oversight by defense attorneys, juries, trial court judges, and appeals courts, and that is only within the criminal justice system. Federal prosecutors are also subject to inspector general investigations and professional conduct action by bar associations. The person in this matter without any real oversight is our President and his attorney general, that is, given our current oh-so-compliant Senate majority.
1
As a former NYS government attorney, I had my own experience with an attempt by an elected official to influence a legal decision. Fortunately for justice, the attempt was cut short by the simple fact that NY’s AG was elected.
At the time, I was the lead attorney that had adjudicated a case involving environmental wrongdoing. Unbeknownest to me, the regional director’s office had fielded a call from a NY Legislator ( currently serving as a Congressman) who was calling on behalf of a purportedly, aggrieved constituent. The call was immediately redirected to my office. The transfer of a call from an elected official to a career government attorney was unusual, but not completely unprecedented. On occasion, I would be called upon to explain arcane NY law or procedures to elected officials. That is an appropriate role for a government attorney.
What came next was totally inappropriate. I advised the elected official that his constituent’s matter had already gone through the adjudicatory process, and that his remaining remedy was to appeal the decision in civil court. The elected official suggested that I withdraw the decision. I advised that I would never take such an illegal action, and that because his constituent continued to be non compliant, the case had been referred to the NY AG’s office for civil enforcement. Once the elected official learned that the case was now under the control of an AG who was not a member of the official’s party, the matter was dropped.
4
What’s most depressing is that if the country ever gets out of this half of it will still vote for these Republicans, or people just like them, within a couple of years. Everything will be forgotten and Republicans will claim they never supported any of this, and most of the country will believe them.
2
It is one bad thing to order the reduction of a sentence or to issue a pardon. I worry more about the day when he starts to order investigations and prosecutions of his political enemies. And I do not put that beneath him.
1
Under Trump it seems laws server at the pleasure of the president.
Perhaps it time to rethink that "legal opinion" at the DOJ about prosecuting president.
This is clearly "full blown corruption".
This coarsens the country and disadvantages honest people.
Countries that go down this path do poorly.
We must speak out against it.
1
Turmp's supporters adore him for appointing ultra-conservative judges to senior courts, including the Supreme Court -- life-time appointments. That legal prerogative lies at core of the problematic connection between the executive and judicial branches of American governments, federal and state and the way McConnell and the Republican Senate blocked Obama's appointment to the Supreme Court in his final year in office.
Have a look at how judges are appointed in other Western democracies and you will not find such a politicizing connection, promoting the popular impression of Republican and Democratic judges, even as chief justice Roberts publicly insists on their complete impartiality in implementing the rule of law.
Ending that political interference in the selection of judges should be part of a democratization agenda along with legalizing the equality of voters in presidential elections by eliminating the Electoral College. After all, if you had a democratic voting system, Donald Trump would not have been elected in 2016, nor would his chances of being reelected this November be nearly as good as they are via the Electoral College.
Sign me "a Canadian friend"
And justice for all? Selective justice, for selected friends. This is a slippery slope indeed.
This is just the beginning. As predicted, an exonerated Donald Trump --- firmly in belief of his innocence and infallibility --- is now free to move forward with his plans to rewrite and reform the democratic, constitutional and legal institutions of the US. The chilling part of this is not that he is succeeding, but that he has so much willing help. Across his administration he either has accomplices willing to do his corrupt bidding, or there is a purging of those who resist.
From retaliation against "enemies" who testified against him to interfering in the prosecution and sentencing of allies, we are seeing the unconstrained agenda of a would-be autocrat. And this at a time when you would think he might show some restraint as he tries to get re-elected.
And all of this is just a preview. It's not hard to imagine what kind of damage a re-elected Trump, the equivalent of a category 5 political hurricane, will unleash.
Now Trump is claiming Stone juror was biased; he heard it on Fox News. That claim of bias was dismissed yesterday but that won’t be the end of it.
The Fox News angle on the Trump Presidency has not been reported enough. The power Fox News and Rush Limbaugh exert over Trump is immense and is a threat to our Democracy.
If you want to know what outrageous claim Trump will make today, watch Fox and Friends.
If you want to understand the impeachment trial, watch Fox News. On the one hand you had the House Democrats prosecuting Trump for crimes he committed in the real world; on the other hand you had Republicans in the House and Senate prosecuting conspiracy theories you will only hear on Fox News re: Ukraine and the Bidens.
Fox News is a propaganda and conspiracy theory machine. On Fox, Republicans are always right and law-abiding, and Democrats are always wrong. If the judge rules that the trial was fair Fox will not respect the outcome, the process, or the judge; Fox News will train its Sauron eye on the judge and accuse her corruption, and so, so will Trump.
2
Is it fair to say we have passed the point of no return?
2
I always thought that if I wanted to live in a banana republic I would have to move. It just so happens that the banana republic came to me.
4
Clearly, America’s Trump “problem” can be solved only by American voters. Given the collapse of the Republican Party as an instrument of governance, the buck on this one stops with us.
1
Hope the Judge ignores the new recommendation, and sentences Stone to the maximum.
1
The celebration of Presidents' Day will forever be tainted by the autocrat currently ruling this country who is merely posing as a president.
1
So far as I know, this is still america, and everyone has a right to express his opinion. Even the president. If Trump tweeted that the world really is round, Democrats, liberals and and progressives would make a case that the earth is flat. Stone was disproportionately sentenced as part of a vindictive impeachment fiasco perpetrated by Democrats in the House. They failed. Trump won.
3
Goodbye Washington,DC, and hello Moscow. Is there any other way to color this? Vote blue and hold onto your hats. I am truly, truly disappointed and frightened at what has happened to our Federal Government. Whoever wins the Democratic nomination must be backed 110%. I will.
1
March in Protest!
2
Anyone who is naive enough to think Bill Barr has any sort of integrity should look no further than his orchestration of the pardoning of every single player in the Iran Contra affair under Bush Sr. He is despicable and should not only be impeached but disbarred
4
Well, it must be pretty sweet to be a white male in America with Trump in office...you get to do anything you want.
1
Trump and Barr just crossed the Rubicon.
2
Full on banana republic dictatorship ......... America, where are the masses protesting??
2
News coming out this morning that the Jury Foreman in this case was a Russia Collusion Truther and ran for political office as a Democrat..and was tweeting during the trial.
This is going to be appealed and overturned.
For those 4 Obama holdovers who resigned?
Good riddance.
9 years for this?
Hillary Clinton is going to get 37-45 years when the Durham Report criminal referrals come out.
Susan Rice? 7-10 years
Sally Yates? 3-5 years
John Brennan? Life in prison
3
William Barr is Trump's Roy Cohn with power. He's able to serve his master as Attorney General. Just as Trump's Salacious B. Crumb Graham serves him in the Senate.
1
At what point do Americans say enough! Are Americans waiting for someone else to save them? As a foreigner watching this man run riot through your courts, your government departments, your institutions and you’re still not marching. What exactly does it take? You might wake up one morning and find out it’s too late.
384
@Jeanette The vast majority of Americans are snug in the returns of their dividends, the comfort of their cell phones and video games. That's all they care about, until, things get worse, much worse, nothing will happen.
40
@Jeanette, after the 1960s, the Republicans at first and then pretty much everyone in the establishment including the press, made out that the protests of that era were wrong and that they represented a "bad old days" we should never return to. The net results were two generations, the GenX and then the Millennials, who were actually brought up to believe that the 1960s were evil and that protest was wrong.
We obviously need to do a lot of unlearning.
But we also need to unwind a lot of institutional barriers to protest. I live not that far south of you in San Jose. Here, if we wish to exercise our Constitutional right to peaceful assembly on the plaza at our City Hall, we have to fill out a form and ask for a permit, and the city will take a month to process it.
A Silicon Valley with slogans like "move fast and break things" and "internet time" cannot do spontaneous protest without a month to process a permit. What kind of free speech are we left with?
And that sluggishness in the population and in the press and in the municipal institutions make it soooooo much easier to enter the never never land of make believe and think that a hashtag movement on twitter is equivalent to getting going, as the Grateful Dead used to sing, "Out of the door and down to the street all alone."
21
@Jeanette Complacency is the new American exceptionalism. We are too busy, too tired, too depressed to get out in the streets and march. We would rather just surrender our rights and watch our lives get denigrated until we have nothing left to save.
37
So much for Barr, he’s just a yes man to the simple genius.
1
course trump will intervene in cases. We all should be fearful of trump as he is a dictator.
1
'Although prosecutors concluded the investigation without additional charges, there is no indication that Mr. Barr meddled in the outcome.'
Personally, seems 'no information' would be a better editorial choice than 'no indications'...because, based on his other 'meddling', the indications are coming out the wazoo.
“Even assuming that Bill Barr is acting with integrity, it is impossible for people to believe that because the president is making him look like his political lap dog,”...
He looks like that because, in fact, he is. Confidence in the independence of the DOJ has been slipping since Barr assumed command. The damage done by this administration in so many areas of government will take years to repair...if it can be done at all. We are living in a post-Republic world at present and should Trump be re-elected (God Forbid!) it will be Orwellian, indeed.
3
After the defeat of Germany judges and lawyers were put on trial for their roles in the Nazi regime. America, in those days, recognized the importance of an independent judiciary.
Those defending Hitler, have claimed he never signed an order instituting the Holocaust. But he didn't have to. Up and down the line, people knew what he wanted. He'd made it clear. Those defending themselves, claimed they were only doing their job. Is that what we've come to?
What makes America special is not just what we do, but how we do it. When it takes extraordinary courage for ordinary people to do the right thing, then we are in trouble.
1
I thought Mr. Barr was an end timer. I guess the rapture ain’t what it once was.
1
Trump is a neo-Fascist, and this is just one more example of his authoritarian abuse of power.
What’s next ? Imprisonment of protesters, political opponents, and journalists ? Imprisonment of scientists who publish work he doesn’t like ?
Republicans aren’t going to stop him, it is up to “we the people”.
5
Stop this Trump madness by any and all legal means possible including second, third, fourth impeachments, charges brought with witnesses and documents, whatever it takes to defeat McConnell and remove Trump without further delay . . .
In God We Trust! God Save the Union!
1
Won't matter if the judge sentences Stone to a week or 100,000 years, Trump will pardon him within an hour of the gavel banging.
Trump is living his dream. His whole life has been spent either suing or being sued, and his track record is not good. He finally found a way to buy the judicial system.
350
@JB stone is already pardoned. it s just not announced yet.
15
@JB Don't be so sure. If Stone is pardoned, he will lose his 5th amendment protections and could conceivably be called to testify against Trump.
7
@Greg K.
Then Stone will perjure himself and Trump will fast-track prosecution to pardon him, wash, rinse, repeat. Unless we as one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, pry Trump out of office to do hard time in a federal prison.
4
I always suspected that the US would eventually devolve into a full-on fascist dictatorship, I just didn't think the leader of the junta would be an illiterate D-list celebrity/ Russian mafia patsy.
9
@Luke
He isn't the leader, except in name. This is a guy who used to masquerade as his own publicists, and now he's masquerading as a president. The real forces behind this debacle try to keep him out of the loop and at a golf course, small-town rally, or in his bedroom in front of a TV as much as possible.
1
The 'tweeter-in-chief' is systematically destroying our laws and our heritage. This all out attack on our justice system is criminal. Barr is another symptom of the criminality of this so called administration. The biggest threat to national security is the 'tweeter', and his henchmen and women. There is no integrity in this sewer this president has created.
10
Clearly most of you folks need to augment your news sources.
3
Always best to wait a few days before erupting with outrage at any NYT reporting. It turns out the one of the jurors may be guilty of a disqualifying bias.
3
@AACNY
A text of happy faces at the end of a grueling trial is only evidence for a DOJ looking for an excuse to override a decision made by a vetted jury.
You may not think you’ll miss living in a Democratic Republic, but eventually the corruption lands on your doorstep as well.
2
The jury forewoman was totally biased against Trump
Literally every weekday I read a new story about how the current president or his enablers have taken our, yes, flawed, but once exceptional, beacon-on-a-hill country one more step towards being one of those countries we used to shake our heads about, their leaders being so clearly corrupt, power-hungry and uncaring for the well being of their own people. Now those struggling countries with their cartoon-ish megalomaniacal tin-pot dictators and strongmen are us. And the most powerful example of what happens when a country and its people decide (yes, imperfectly) that the rule of law is more important than the power, prestige or position of any individual is lost, one cumulative outrage at a time, over and over again. I used to wonder how democratic European countries could allow the dictators of the 30's (Mussolini, Franco, Hitler) to gain control over their countries. Now I see to my great horror exactly how that works.
8
Mr. Barr, when someone has his integrity intact nothing else matters. When it’s not, nothing else matters. You sir have lost your soul.
10
Like all subject re Trump, the NYT reports this as if the sky is falling. The prosecutors in the Stone case overreached in a snit and now left in a snit.
4
You cannot claim to be a law and order conservative patriot who supports the constitution and Trump/Stone apologist.
Literally. Impossible.
1
Barr is too far gone to do what is best for the United States of America and RESIGN. In fact, his hostility toward the DOJ, the Constitution, AND the citizens of this country exhibit the behavior of an ENEMY. IMPEACH. IMPEACH. IMPEACH.
May God help us all, AND the defunded CDC!!!
5
......and to the banana republic, for which it stands......
8
I am running out of ways to express how appalling this whole insane situation is becoming. As a Canadian; I have never been afraid to express my disgust and criticism of various situations inside the U.S. for decades now. However I never saw your nation as anything but a true democracy where good and bad go head to head in a free for all for the hearts and minds of the American people. And while I have always cheered on the Democrats; with the likes of F.D.R. and the Kennedy`s; not to mention Obama; it was with the sense that Republicans like John McCain and others were men of real honor who demanded respect. Now the world can only shake it`s collective head at the pure insanity that the morons under Donald Trump exhibit every day. If it were not so disgusting it would be laughable. Something out of some half baked piece of fiction writing. A bunch of lunatics hijack the American government; unleash a massive disinformation propaganda campaign; and the American people fall for it hook, line, and sinker. When the sane leaders try to push back; the Authoritarian bully unleashes venom seeking to destroy anyone and anything that stands in his way. Of course this could never happen in real life...RIGHT?! Not in the good old U.S.A.! I just can`t. say anymore...too depressing.
17
@Greg Hodges
It’s like living in a blender.
I envy you folks in Canada. Please keep the lights on up there, ok?
2
@Greg Hodges, let us not forget. If this can happen in the U.S., it can happen anywhere.
3
@Chickpea We are here now for you. America is the beacon of democracy. Fight. Fight.
More unnamed Trump haters.
2
May I ask what you like about him and concretely, how your life and the country has improved through his presidency? Real question from my end, not sarcasm. Thank you
3
@Joe And what has he done for you?????? I'll wait
4
There are too many to list, you only get 1500 characters. The number of people who find trump reprehensible exceeds infinity.
2
Trump, Barr, and their corrupt gang commits atrocities on a daily basis now---it is hard to see the big picture.
NYT, please do your readers a favor and publish the running totals of:
--how many Trump aids and associates have been convicted of felonies so far
--how many current lawsuits there are against Trump, Jivanka, and their aids
--how many lawsuits Trump, Jivanka, and aids have settled out of court so far, rather than going to trial
--how many possible emoluments violations there are currently
--how many bills are sitting on McConnell's desk that he refuses to address
--how many known conversations Trump has had with Putin, without any witnesses present
--how many known personal deals Jivanka has made with the Saudi's, and China
Barr is committing big cover-ups for Trump, and squashing any new investigations.
Thank you.
13
If Trump is re-elected we will have a dictator for life in the White House, a dictator who does what is best for Donald J Trump and those who suck up to him, not necessarily what is best for America. Is this really what the Senate Republicans under the "leadership" of Mitch McConnell really want? They opened Pandora's Box by acquitting Trump of his already uncovered misdeeds in office, without even censuring him, but claiming his misdeeds were unimpeachable offenses. Now what will he think he has the "absolute right" to do next? Trump is a dangerous precedent as POTUS, unlike anything America has ever seen before. If he continues for another 4 years the country may never recover from his tenure in office.
8
Having lived in a corrupt banana republic for quite a few years, I can tell you Republicans do not care. Trying to appeal to McConnell and his accomplices' sense of morality, honesty or basic dignity is useless as they have none. They answer to Addelson and Koch while their fear 9f Trump was a very effective neutering tool.
1
Does Barr think Countenance Forgives Ineptness?
Every Picture Barr Poses as "FBI Presence"-Is Anything But---
1
Why aren't we protesting en masse? Where is MoveOn, Indivisible, etc.? Why are we sitting on our duffs while this criminality gets worse?
451
I'm with you. Americans are acting like sheep. That's the way Jews (my people) acted in Germany. We know what happened.
43
@Bronwyn
Amen. I'm in my 70's and I'd be out there if someone announced nationwide march against Donald Trump.
50
@Bronwyn because we are smart. Because our jobs are “at will”, contract and tied to our healthcare. Why would I spend $1000 to go to Washington DC and March against a President when the 52 Republican Senators and the President will do nothing? We know McConnell has hopelessly rigged the game. We know we have to GOTV or bust.
34
I don’t understand how anyone can afraid or surprised. People have had three full years to prepare for this. Everyone knew this was coming.
People had to decide if your job is more important than other people’s life and limb as well as right vs wrong before. People had to decide in history. People had to decide if they wanted to take part in human trafficking in America, genocide of Native Americans, even had to decide wether or not to provide goods and services to the Nazi regime. And those people didn’t have 3 years notice and the hindsight of history.
So I don’t want to hear about anyone clutching pearls at this. People need to decide. Will you help provide cover for the start of a banana republic with the full history knowing exactly where it could end or will you find another freaking job. That’s it. There are no bystanders anymore. My wife is a teacher I told her. What will you do if they come to your classroom and say you either hand over all the Hispanic students or you lose you job. What do you do? If you are a lawyer or prosecutor you to have jade 3 years to decide: if the president wobbles into your courtroom and demands an outcome counter to the rule of law what will you do? Three years. That’s how much notice these people had that this day was coming. Don’t clutch your pearls and whine to the NYTimes.
9
Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin and Putin, did not turn their nation's political systems into dictatorships without the expert help of their own Bill Barrs.
33
Trumps supporters still support him, regardless of the actions he takes. I'm truly at a loss. Supporters still turn up at his rallies and cheer him on, as he spreads his lies and deceit. As Trump demeans and destroys our democracy they cheer gleefully and applaud loudly, wearing their bright red hats.
Trump is mentally unwell, angry and vindictive. This "small man" walking wants to hurt and punish all those who disobeyed his commands and the Republican Party stands by and does nothing. Absolutely nothing to rein him in.
Isn't this how Hitler came to power? Remember all those good people who supported Hitler. Those good people who allowed and condoned concentration camps. All those good people are why Hitler succeeded in his crimes against humanity.
This is how I view the Republican Party and all the good people who are cheering Trump at his rallies. Are we witnessing history repeat it's self once more?
10
@Valerie Are the folks with reds hats at Trump rallies actually there because they are pro Trump or because of other causes, anti-abortion, pro-gun, anti-LGBTQ. My feeling it is because of the latter. They would flip to any politician that supports their cause.
1
Okay, so this nightmare is because Trump is president and has Bill Barr as his lap dog who follows every command without question. There are so many decent, honest people in the DOJ and in this country as a whole. If by some terrible mistake, a psychopath like Hitler was elected president of the United States and he then created a Nazi-type regimen under him, would that mean we would all have to sit back and put up with everything he dished out, including destruction of our democracy and the rule of law and behavior that would start wars, until the next election? Hard to believe. Just asking.
This nightmare is all on our once supposedly patriotic Republican and Conservative citizens' shoulders Trump and Barr and Pompeo are not acting alone. There is a whole party and a good amount of people who have left honesty. character and basic decency behind for money (Politicians) or for hate (Trump supporters)
1
I can barely contain the profane commentary that I'd *like* to post about Barr.
Trump, of course, is the most corrupt US president in modern times, or perhaps all times.
But the endless line of spineless, enabling Republican sycophants ready to take their turn pleasuring Trump is the real tragedy here. I mean, are we living the story told in "Invasion of the body snatchers"?
I see no way the Republican party can cleanse itself of this shame. Lincoln has be violently rolling in his grave.
6
@Robert you could power California from Reagans’ spin
2
Why doesn't Trump just fire everyone in the justice department except Barr, then he can use the thumbs up or down to decide cases.
Similarly, he should get rid of the Departments of State, Homeland Security, Labor, etc.
I see no point in having these wastes of taxpayer dollars functioning when we have a king with all the answers.
7
President Trump meddling with the legal proceedings against Roger Stone has all the earmarks of a president who knows that Stone has the goods on him and will tell all if he does any time.
Trump is compromised and that is not good for our republic.
7
On National Public Radio this morning, an attorney who formerly served as deputy under Attorney General Barr defended Barr's decision to intervene on Roger Stone's behalf to argue for a lighter jail sentence for this convicted criminal.
That attorney sided with Barr on grounds that Barr's position as Attorney General entitles him to intervene on trial decisions made under the auspices of the Department of Justice (DOJ). That entitlement is true.
However, Barr's particular intervention on behalf of a convicted criminal ("coincidentally" a friend) to push for a reduced sentence -- even though the sentence terms fall within acceptable DOJ Guidelines -- reeks of Favoritism and Fractured Ethics.
No matter how one perceives Barr's/Trump's takeover of Stone's sentencing proceeding, although, on one hand, the hijack is "acceptable" within the purview of the law, in the bigger picture, Barr's/Trump's intrusive management of Stone's sentencing represents nothing short of Unilateral Political Maneuvering for Personal Benefit.
Consequently, Barr should be disciplined.
And while we're on the subject: When, O when, will Congressional Democrats step forward to Censure the rogue president?
10
The only thing worse than my belief that Stone's sentence is irrelevant because Trump will pardon him:
My belief that Stone's pardon will be celebrated by Trump's supporters as a victory for their cause--the destruction of US as a more perfect union.
5
@ANNE IN MAINE
If Trump is defeated in November, he'll pardon Stone and some others before January. If elected, he'll let Stone serve the two years and then pardon him in 2024.
Just my thoughts w/o evidence/
1
Pressure of course. Persecution by holdovers from the Obama Administration, of those associated with Trump, may cause retribution by Trump. Unlike Bill Clinton, Trump didn’t immediately fire all of those from the opposition party.
2
I like to think that responsible, ethical career Justice Department attorneys are polishing up their resumes with an eye towards resigning, either at another gutless Senate acquittal or Trump's supposed reelection. I feel certain that certain blue state attorneys general will be happy to add them to the teams going after Trump and his minions in state court.
4
On the night of the Senate acquital, Indivisible, #Resist, and others called for a protest. People did turn out, the public driving by the protests did support them, but the turnout wasn't what it should have been, given the Republican treachery. The New York Times chose not to cover it, it was not, I guess, "news fit to print".
You could change that, and we could change that. We could turn out in greater numbers and the press could do their part to cover protests both before and after they take place.
Rachel Maddow last night brought up the article Masha Gessen wrote after Trump was elected about how we could not trust our institutions, or the people in government, we had to trust ourselves.
We could do that. The New York Times could start covering our protests, too. After all, either it's BREAKING NEWS that the democracy is in trouble or it is just another way to make a media buck.
3
If these attorneys "fear" this trump man, then they should do the honorable & respectable thing & resign en masse. If he & his minions find themselves without workers what will they do. Do without?? Stop doing investigations, prosecutions...? Barr might actually have to work for his money. A dictator doesn't need a justice department anyway... does he?
1
All this, and numerous other assaults on American democracy goes away when Trump goes away.
He and his gang of "believers" installed throughout the sinews of American government.
They and their perverted sense of norms are the true deep state at this point.
Deep in corruption, abuse of established practice, deep in their Trump stupor. Deep in zealous adherence to unspoken desire to please the leader, more out of fear than genuine dedication to country.
This is N. Korea mentality imported to our own shores by the same type of leader - impulsive, repressive, vindictive, without a care for propriety.
The results are the same.
Government of, by, for the whims of the leader.
When he's gone, all this goes away.
I'd make that my campaign slogan if was running… repeat it a million times.
1
The irony is that Trump, his cronies and his fans are still finding excuses for his anti-American behavior. It is time to call a spade a spade. This is not how the US does business.
3
@Dr. Girl there's an old expression that fell out of disfavor in GenX and the Millennials, "When you turn 30, you're responsible for your own face." It means that after a time, nobody else is responsible for your behavior, you are.
It applies to the people "finding excuses" for his behavior. After some time, they aren't innocent fans finding excuses, they are willing collaborators in the anti-American behavior, and therefore traitors.
1
For the prosecutors who are wary or fear reprisal or worse from this administration...
Stick with it. We need you more than ever.
2
The packed court for the impeachment vote,now this. Another 5 years of this, and America is finished. Be clear: you may have votes and you may have a free media but if you havent the rule of law, you have only the illusions of these things, because law is what guarantees them. What is so sad is that about half of all Americans dont seem to care. About anything. Trump could order opponents killed and they would just say, fake news!
4
The balance of power between the three branches of govt is based on the assumption that each branch acts responsibly. if officials in the executive or judicial branches act irresponsibly, they can be impeached and removed. If the legislative branch acts irresponsibly, the remedy is to vote them out of office. That doesn't always work and it's becoming harder to vote people out of office (e.g., Citizens United, Trump's acquittal that seems to allow foreign interference and obstruction of justice, anonymous social media, etc.).
I used to believe that term limits are anti-democratic. I was wrong. Entrenched leadership like McConnell and Pelosi may not have created Trump, but they enabled him to obstruct justice; McConnell but excusing the conduct and Pelosi by gambling that public opinion would turn on Trump instead of relying more on the courts to compel testimony and document disclosure. It's time for Congressional term limits so that extremists from both parties have less of an impact on the long-term wellbeing of America
101
@Good Things What extremists are there in the Democratic party?
18
@Good Things Pelosi gambled? Waiting for the courts would have put Trump well into a stolen 3rd term, never mind second term. He now controls the courts via HIS department of justice. So what exactly was Pelosi supposed to do?
26
@Good Things You might want to look up the term "false equivalence" and then come back and explain why you've lumped Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi together. One has steadfastly supported and enabled Trump and contributed greatly to the erosion of institutions of democracy in America. The other, for better or for worse, made a decision not to extend the impeachment process by months or possibly years. There's a whole world of difference.
41
A justice department ...the judicial branch, which is to ensure the process of division of the three branches of government acts in concert with the executive branch to foment a conspiracy intended to interfere/tamper with our legal system. If prosecutors across the United States, attorneys who serve throughout government are unwilling to speak openly [in fear of retribution] about Bill Barr's decision but off the record express dismay this should inform us. Citizens and any defenders of democracy should be alarmed. All of this to include Barr's decision to review cases investigating election tampering give evidence of a justice department that is being managed by someone more interested in currying favor and politics than justice. What has been promised to him for his supplication ? And how does the Senate feel now?
4
The worse part about all this is while everybody is paying attention to this obvious motive to cover up Trump's involvement with Russia by helping those who contain the information that proves it, Russia is buying up Radio Station time in Kansas City MO in order to keep the division and confusion going in favor of Trump. We are talking spots during prime driving times which air at the same time on the same frequencies as the popular Jazz channel. So you will be listening to Jazz one minute then this American guy talking about the discourse of what's happening the next. We are talking about Sputnik Radio so it is completely transparent just like Trump's disregard for anything to do with our Legal system yet the constitution. The only article he even knows is number two the one he lies about it stating he can do anything he wants too.
5
What should be truly frightening to American citizens is the power prosecutors have to impose unjust sentences on people. The Stone sentence recommendation was political and egregiously excessive for a non-violent crime. It should never have been allowed. Stone got preferential treatment because he was high profile, but what about all the Americans who are unjustly sentenced due to excessive prosecutorial recommendations?
5
Trump's rhetorical tweets are trial balloons and have a habit of becoming fact over time, as outrage exhaustion sets in. If history is any guide, two years from now, prosecutors WILL have to apologize when demanded by Trump, or they will be investigated. Crimes committed by Trump cronies will not even elicit a passing glance by DoJ.
We, the public, have been the real barrier between Trump and outright dictatorship--- not Congress, not the courts, not the advisors who served as "guard rails" for Trump, and now not the career professionals in government anymore.
We're in the downhill portion of the Trump roller coaster and we're picking up speed. Four more years and the country will be unrecognizable.
4
This is so good for America. After more than 3 years of waiting for Trump to drain the swamp, we are finally starting to see some action. The 4 prosecutors who left were Obama loyalists, and should have been fired the first day Trump was sworn into office.
While the Democrats and their partners in the media will continue to pretend this is horrible, they know it is a natural process for an incoming President to replace most of the people from the old Administration with his own people. Additionally, by forcing out the Obama loyalists, Trump is fulfilling a campaign promise to Drain The Swamp.
Any prosecutor who doesn’t like the way AG Barr is running things should get out now. Otherwise, they will be watched carefully for their bias in cases like the Roger Stone case.
The media will continue to back the Democrat propaganda that Trump and Barr are interfering with the sentencing, but the reality is that Roger Stone was railroaded just like they are trying to do with Trump.
If the media was honest, they would report that Trump is doing the same thing that Obama did when he first took office. Trump is behind schedule in cleaning house and getting rid of the people who came into the DOJ, FBI, CIA, and NSA during the Obama administration. It may take Trump all 8 years just to get this country back to normal.
11
I'm not sure how putting Roger Stone in jail for nine years protects the public but I can see how it gives Democrats some satisfaction especially after three years of failing to take out Trump by any hook or crook and which also happened to snag Stone.
9
I’m not sure how putting any nonviolent criminal in prison “protects the public.” I didn’t realize that people only go to prison to protect the public.
4
Isn’t that the point? Instill enough fear to cause good folks to stay silent and look the other way so Trump can do what he wants without constraint?
It’s classic authoritarian or mob boss rule. So far, it seems to be working.
11
Have any of these Times reporters actually worked at the Department of Justice? There is nothing unusual for Main Justice to review the cases of federal prosecutors. and make recommendations. It happens all the time. A lot of wasted ink here.
8
@Oracle at Delphi The president intervening doesn’t “happen all the time”. In fact, it has never happened in our history this way. Do you really want your president deciding court cases versus a jury of your peers? If yes, move to Russia. I live in America where we have Democratic institutions and three separate coequal branches of government which Trump cannot control or we no longer have a democracy and the rule of law!
2
Dems don’t realize that the more they attack and excoriate President Trump the more decent Americans will aggressively defend him. Feckless Dems are unwittingly creating an ever-growing body of voters who will return President Trump to the presidency this November in a massive landslide.
9
@John Murray, first two Democratic primaries are certainly clear proof of that and they've only just begun. Out of the debates Trump comes out looking actually stable compared to the radical charges each Democratic candidate hurls against the other.
2
It’s fascinating and sad that your wording implies that anyone who votes Democrat is not a decent American.
2
@John Murray Even the people who dont like Trump or wish they had not voted for him will vote him back in because of all of this. But the left cant stop, they're on a roll and the bus is careening toward the cliff of no return. You are watching the implosion of the Democratic Party.
The new face is AOC and the Squad...very scary.
1
Dear Prosecutors, this is your time to be true heroes. You are part of the wall that Trump is trying, and so far succeeding, to breach, that separates our country from being a dictatorship. Please don’t give in to his threats. Please don’t run away, don’t give in. We’re counting on you to stand your ground and fight this emerging tyrant, to stop him in his tracks, before it’s too late.
7
It’s well past time that we take to the streets in massive protests.
13
@Louise
What are you waiting for? The streets don't need a reservation.
2
@Louise I think they are already doing that in NYC and Oregon. Antifa and their surrogates are protesting law and order and the right to free speech. Probably some in your hometown too. Put on a dark bandana to cover your identity and join them or maybe, just maybe go out and vote in November for the candidate of your choice. Thats what people do in this country.
Makes us wonder what was all behind the scenes with Barr vs. Mueller, doesn’t it?
6
@MIMA
There’s been a story here and there, but little done to connect the dots.
I’m reminded that Mueller hired experts in researching money laundering and financial improprieties. Trump proclaimed there would be no disclosure of his bank accounts accounts, that was his red line. In the end, the Mueller report failed to follow the money, and this failure, a standard investigative practice, wasn’t even discussed.
From what little reporting I’ve seen, Barr has slow-walked or ended all Mueller related cases in process when he took over.
2
The New York Times could, if the wished, start covering, interviewing, and showcasing Democratic opponents to Republican senators up for re-election. There's absolutely no reason why those with the power of the bully pulpit should just daily blather "breaking news" and do nothing to combat this. Either the democracy is in danger or it is not. Either this attorney general and this president are transgressing or they are not. Either the free press is a bulwark for our democracy or it is just another corporate sector churning out the consumer junk that supports its capitalism.
It's your choice. You in the press gave Trump 2200 minutes of free air time in 2016 by covering his tweets. Obviously, you could decide to give that free air time to people who would oust the traitors in the Senate and remove the dictator from the White House.
Doing nothing won't be seen kindly.
6
This is how dictators start; you go after law enforcement, you delegitimize media, you go after any one trying to protect the constitution; and you do all this in the name of "fighting the deep state in the name of the people". You create such a pressure box within the administration that no one dares to say anything, all the future Vinman s stay quiet--that creates the perfect conditions to do even more with impunity. It will not stop there; Barr has already started chasing every conspiracy theory coming out of Putin's Russia, and that too on multiple fronts; wouldn't be surprised if IRS is let lose on political opponents--and all this while all the members of his tribe are cheering him on--who would have thought until recently this is the USA--and that all this is enabled by the President's men.
7
I see from a related story that Trump is now going after private citizens who serve on juries if he doesn't like the verdict (he is calling out a juror on the Stone case). It can only be a matter of time before the juror's anonymity is compromised just like the whistle-blower's. This horror story can't end soon enough.
35
If the licensing body that issued William Barr's law license does not begin an immediate investigation into his character and fitness to hold such license then this body shows America that it accepts malfeasance of its own operations and of its license holders. This tarnishes the licenses of every attorney in its jurisdiction who strives to uphold the proper standards of the law. It also plays right into the hands of Donald Trump and further emboldens him to continue denigrating attorneys in our government, in our country and the rule of law in our country. That is what is on the line here.
7
Pres. Trump has just survived yet another coup attempt no president should have to endure simply because they won the election. Pres. Trump rightly feels our Republic cannot survive unless these actions are addressed and those responsible adjudicated. The sentencing of Roger Stone is just another indicia of that political bias that must be addressed.
4
Acquittal of impeachment charges does not immunize a person from future impeachments for high crimes and misdemeanors in public office.
Intervention in the Department of Justice by a President, on behalf of his cronies, is an impeachable offense. It strikes at the very heart of the rule of law.
Nancy, time for another impeachment.
10
Attorney General Barr is acting as Trump's personal lawyer instead of the people's lawyer. With the separation of the Justice Department from the Executive branch being undermined, AG Barr should be impeached for not doing his job. He is seriously compromising his oath of office to protect and uphold our constitution.
5
We as a country have gone from no one is above the law, to 35% saying Trump is above the law, his Justice Department has ruled Trump not only can't be convicted of a crime he can't even be investigated.
The US is no longer a democracy with checks and balances.
The only real question is will Trump appoint Ivanka or Jr as President when he decides his dictatorship is over, sometime around 2026 I believe.
R.I.P. U.S.A shot in the back by the G.O.P.
10
This is the last nail in the coffin of democracy.
7
Democracy ebbs as fascisms flows--nationalism, dictatorial power, suppression of opposition, none of which you can fail to see in the present administration.
5
A jury of Americans, who were vetted and se!ected by Roger Stone's defense, found him guilty of felonies, including lying to protect Donald Trump.
Donald Trump is seeking to nullify their decision, and subject the people's Justice Department to his dictates. The American democracy has reached a critical moment, and it is past time for those in the Justice Dept., Treasury, FBI, and every government agency, to stand up and save our nation from a would be Putin, or worse.
15
This is a rule of law/constitutional crisis and our leaders are not acting to resolve it with the urgency required. Democracy in the United States is dead.
3
i keep going back to this is a white privilege issue with this president and his associates. They believe they are not only better, but deserve to be treated with privilege above everyone else, taking us back at least 70 to 100 years in social evolvement.
3
Let's not forget that Clinton received nearly 3 million more popular votes in 2016 than Trump did. He rode in on the coattails of the electoral college, devised in 1787 by the constitutional convention to protect the southern slave states - nearly all of our founding fathers were slave-owners. The EC is still protecting those states and Trump will have those white slave owners who dropped this paean to white supremacy into the US Constitution 223 years ago, to thank yet again if - God help us - he wins again.
I was not a Clinton supporter and I am a child of the "Old South." My southern grandma used to say, "If it stinks, believe it is rotten." Trump has told us who he is and what he wants to be: a dictator. The democratic process of checks and balances is merely a small hurdle his minions are helping him conquer.
4
I looked it up, William Barr is a member of the New York Bar. The New York Bar Association could take away his bar card. It isn't like everyone is powerless to move against this, there are obviously people in New York State who could do something if they chose to.
4
Trump has exposed the hypocrisy of Republicans claims to be patriotic. Their loyalty is not to this country but to money which is also their God.
3
Barr, the current AG, ought to go home...instead of following the cruel and unjust diktats of an unhinged demagogue in the Oval Office, destroying the essential need for independence of the Justice Department (from criminal Trump). Shameful and dangerous, and an awful precedent. And not a 'peep' from complicit republicans, whose silence remains thunderously loud.
3
This is not a jigsaw puzzle. It is a simple connect the dots.
trump to Barr to trump's friends to pardons. Thanks, Senators, for this lawlessness that you condoned. You are a big part of the problem of the devasting of America. We will not forget you in 2020.
Congress should proceed with thier investigations only this time if they are snubbed or ignored have the jerks jailed til they change their minds and decide to cooperate with the inquiries. No more nice guy strategy.
5
Imagine if you were in Stone’s position: you tweeted about Julian Assange and Clinton’s emails and the next thing you know CNN, frog men and the FBI are guns drawn waking you and your wife up in the middle of the night.
Yet Comey took FBI documents home and leaked, Clapper, Brennan, Paige, Struck, Clinton and others that have in fact subverted our country are waking free.
The NYT and the progressive ideologies have created a two-tier justice system that is harming our society. It is bad and getting worse. Be thankful that this President does not tolerate unfairness.
5
William Barr is the new poster child of US despotism. What will they teach next in American law schools? Oh, that Constitution thing we are supposed honor, cherish and obey? That's obsolete now. Law journals will have to cite that "rule of law" is an antique. Rule of Trump is now in effect. When he says jump you must reply, "how high?" Putin's laughter must be echoing down the halls of the Kremlin. He is getting the Amerika he has always wanted. Donald Trump, William Barr and Michael Pompeo are all the running dog lackies he has dreamed of. Get out the hammers and chisels, "Equal Justice Under Law" must be defaced from the facades of courthouses around the nation. We need a new look: the trump despot look. That's how to make amerika great again!
24
@East End
Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin and Putin, did not turn their nation's political systems into dictatorships without the expert help of their own Bill Barrs.
5
For anyone who is curious about psychology and human behavior, this is an excellent article on what the psychological qualities are of Trump sycophants, yes-men/women, supporters, etc ... not including monetary gain, blackmail, bribery, political pressure, etc ...
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-in-the-machine/201812/complete-psychological-analysis-trumps-support
3
Why does anyone have to listen to this one man any more? He has lowered his position to the point that it is irrelevant. When I think of men like Washington and Lincoln who have held the office, neither of whom were perfect, but both of whom were humble servants of the people and and the constitution, I am sad to see where Trump has taken the office. At least the next president will have nowhere to go but up.
13
@Hah!
And yet his critics cannot help themselves from screaming in outrage. Trump has become an addiction. They need an intervention.
2
@AACNY
You seem to know a lot about addiction and intervention.
1
We have a mob boss running his personal syndicate. expanding it into our governmental institutions and departments. Barr is his personal, institutional consigliere. Epstein, Roger Stone, etc. We are living in an ongoing dystopian horror show; His fuel is racism and hate weaved into lies and crass words. He is a destroyer of decency and civility. My World War II dad, survivor of Pearl Habor and Guadal Canal would call this an act of treason. It's our time to take the mantle from "our greatest generation" and vote this aberration out of office.
20
Consequences of draining the swamp. Nothing to see here. Career politicians do not want to risk losing their jobs. Some, like Chuck Schumer have been in their positions of power for 38 years. As a result, they lash out at anything that may be considered a risk. Risks include an outsider like Trump that has been very successful. Anything related to Trump will get the brunt of excessive penalties and costs. Stone is just one example.
8
Filling the swamp, you mean. Lies without number, nepotism, disregard for the rule of law, catering to the rich and white, ignoring the global ecology and weakening our position with loyal allies while catering to despots. Hey, what’s not to like?
4
RCS,
Your comment must be sarcasm because the swamp hasn’t been drained, it has been replenished under this administration.
2
is this fact supposed to bother the trump administration?
3
7-9 years is apparently too onerous for one of Trump’s guilty criminal pals, but the death penalty for innocent black Central Park teenagers is perfectly fine.
To express his displeasure, maybe Trump should take out another full page ad in the New York Times.
29
Barr must be dis-barred.
13
We are really becoming a fascist state. These Republican senators who can't stand up to Trump should all be fired. Let's do it in November.
28
@Joanna Stelling
The people I'm surrounded with are delighted. Fascism is exactly what they want, because they think the present government is working only in their favor. They're too stupid and self-absorbed to realize how inconsequential they are to the people who are manipulating them to gain control. Like Trump and Barr.
2
Wednesday, November 4, 2020; electoral votes: Trump 230, Klobuchar 310. President Trump declares massive election fraud by Democrats, led by James Comey, Hillary Clinton, and financed by George Soros and MIchael Bloomberg. He orders Mr. Barr to impound all ballots in Florida and Pennsylvania which went for the Democrats. Barr launches a detailed recount under the supervision of the Department of Justice.
Monday, December 7, 2021; Attorney General Barr cancels the Electors' Vote and meeting of the Electoral College.
Wednesday, January 20, 2021; Attorney General Barr announces that the election results in the two states in question were hacked by unknown actors and declares the two states for President Trump. The Trump Inaugral Committee and Justice Cavanaugh, in place of Chief Justice Roberts who refuses, swears in President Trump in the East Room of the White House, the Inauguration not being open to the public.
Who, and with what actions will intervene to prevent any of this?
21
@JS
Good outline for a novel. Start writing before it's too late.
2
My parents, anti-war activists & community organizers, were surveilled by the FBI in the 60s/70s, under COINTELPRO, an FBI surveillance & active disruption program whose most famous victim was MLK. FBI agents followed my mother with us, young children, to the grocery store. Growing up, I knew my phones were tapped. My father’s file, which he FOIA’d in the 1980s, is several feet high. We lived in fear of my father being professionally retaliated against and had a plan in case we had to move states. Sounds rather dramatic, even paranoid, doesn’t it? But this happened to thousands of US citizens. It also spiked again under Bush and the Iraq War. Imagine how a re-elected Trump (who re-elects himself by any means possible) will further weaponize the FBI. Imagine your friends reporting your comments to the GOP. Imagine your Indivisible group infiltrated by agents and informants. Imagine your job prospects and your mobility affected by your resistance. This is not dystopian. Trump, who represents a minority, is weaponizing federal agencies against folks who speak out against him. It can happen to you, and for all we know, it already has. GOTV 2020!
10
I think the NYT should look into whether or not the renewed prosecution of Jessie Smollett is linked to Barry and the White House. I'm pretty sure djt didn't like that stunt against his trademark magazine hat. Maybe it's just coincidence that Smolletts prosecution is rekindled as djt embarks on his retribution tour?
3
@JRo
My first instinct to dismiss your comment as preposterous was a knee jerk reaction from a time when people could expect (although in reality, not always get) some degree of autonomy and justice from the courts.
But, like you, I found the reopening of this case odd. In the big picture, this case shouldn’t be important nationally, but it supports a Trumpian narrative and has a black celebrity at its center, and that changes everything in an country ruled by a reality TV “star”. No case is too small if it carries a sympathetic story that plays into a desired, and base pleasing, racial narrative.
Looking at this again (https://apnews.com/ae6ecdc8dfa7b5af555071033b2b2a7b), it looks odder still, and stinks of the systemic corruption we are seeing in the Mueller related cases and the Supreme Court.
You are absolutely right. This is a story worth doing.
This retired Air Force officer salutes Col Vindman. The moral and ethical rot of this administration has once again been exposed. I salute both Col Vindman and General Kelly. As to Mr Barr he seems to be working hard at cementing his place in history as the most morally and ethically corrupt Attorney General in US history. What possible reward could there be for this level of self-destruction?
18
A jury of Americans, who were vetted and se!ected by Roger Stone's defense, found him guilty of felonies, including lying to protect Donald Trump.
Donald Trump is seeking to nullify their decision, and subject the people's Justice Department to his dictates. The American democracy has reached a critical moment, and it is past time for those in the Justice Dept., Treasury, FBI, and every government agency, to stand up and save our nation from a would be Putin, or worse.
24
No mention of the fact that it was under Barr's advice that President George H. W. Bush in 1992 pardoned the Iran-Contra criminals. And by 2001, Barr is re-writing the narrative. He is the perfect hire and he is doing a great job-for Trump and the Republicans.
9
"Prosecutors across the United States, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid reprisals." Please remind me again what country we are referring to?
10
There was so much talk during the impeachment process that it was hindering the work that needed to take place but now the king want to be is focusing on his friends that took a fall for him .if you want to go to prison then go to work for Trump because you might be next including you Mr Barr . Go Blue in 2020 so America can be returned to a country of the rules of law and a President focused on the good of all Americans and not self interest.
2
The President is the top Decider and he influences the courts as he sees fit. No different than a general officer who may leave a verbal message to a courts martial board regarding a case that “ he is interested” in.....The boss rules!
More,
I think you are confusing our democracy with totalitarianism. It is “we the people” not “I, the decider.”
1
I don't really blame Trump, I blame Barr. Trump is free to say or tweet whatever he wants. It's Barr's Dept. of Justice that caved to pressure instead of simply ignoring Trump.
William Barr has proven to be Donald Trump's compliant lapdog and a disgrace to the rule of law. I hope the judge in the case ignores all of this nonsense and sentences Stone to however many years in prison she deems appropriate.
8
Enjoying watching this country go down the toilet? As I've said many time before: Serial impeachment ! Keep Trump under impeachment until the election. Use the impeachment process to keep his behavior under the microscope. Then the citizens will make a choice during the election. At least that way, people will realize that the destruction of our way of life is their decision. And let the chips fall as they may...
5
This manic autocrat is dissembling our Courts,The Constitution, the U.S. Senate and the freedom of all the people with his singular interpretation of what is good for him .
He retaliates against all who dare to speak the truth about his actions under oath if he is called out for the liar he is. How long before the marches in the streets begin by the citizens who have had enough of this unqualified autocrat! His comment that the Constitution was a “foreign language” shows how unfit he is to lead .
10
An increasingly appropriate classic:
“First they came for...”
If some commenters find the current Administration and Congress’ actions not concerning, for a moment try a thought exercise. Everything and everyone is exactly as they have been. In your mind, switch all the party affiliations - Republicans are Democrats; Democrats are Republicans. Then take a few minutes to consider that context and if actions in DC continue to not concern you.
In a two party representative democratic system, it is always about what will the next Administration, the next Congress do with these actions, laws, (setting precedents).
In a one party, centrally controlled system, what the next Administration does is a moot point (in authoritarian regimes, making rules or breaking them are irrelevant).
5
It's not the Department of Justice if it only devotes itself to being a political tool of trump*.
4
This defies everything that is the cornerstone of this country. The blindfold has been taken off of Lady Justice. Trump has forever blemished the judicial system.
9
What took John kelly so long to come forward and speak his mind?
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/02/john-kelly-alexander-vindman-north-korea-and-trump/606496/?
We want to hear more about the irregular stuff Trump did while John kelly was Chief if staff. Let’s begin with Ivanka and Jared..
5
Oh please.
What nonsense.
The terms the prosecutors requested were in excess of the Judicial guidelines for these crimes.
Perhaps if these prosecutors didn't give into their hatred of our President and asked for the sentence to meet these guidelines, there would not be an issue
Stone was (rightfully so) found guilty. He is going to jail. And ultimately, its the Judge who sets the term.
Fake outrage. Let them quit.
8
The Ministry of Information (formerly the Department of Justice) is now operating under the sole authority of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General William Barr. Congress will now have no authority other than ex post facto queries on laws and decisions already made on matters of foreign and domestic security already determined by The Ministry of Information.
The decision to form The Ministry of Information was the outcome of a ruling of the Supreme Court, whose members were notified through the President's appeal to SCOTUS on "Privilege On Matters Most Important to The President." The initial vote was 5-4 against; but after a second vote was taken after a lecture from William Barr, the decision was unanimously approved 5-0.
For the 2020 Election, any and all information regarding election interference will come from The Ministry of Information. Congress shall have no authority to intervene, since this is at the request of President Donald J. Trump, the head of The Ministry of Information.
7
People want to compare when President Kennedy had his brother as AG. At least that POTUS used his connection for the good of the USA. He didn't use his AG to pardon his friends who enabled him to break laws that he can just skate on because of cover ups by his party.
The Trump Presidency is exposing the flaws in our government system.
Things like Term limits, more separation of power between the POTUS and DOJ, One vote for all/removing the electoral college, and senatorial representation: should a state like North Dakota have the same amount of senators as California? All those things need to be addressed by a new administration.
Our government shouldn't be a playing field for someone to profit off of or destroy one's enemies. The POTUS is supposed to work for everyone not just 1/3 of the electorate.
The senate won't vote on bills the house is passing with bi-partisan support to help the security of the next election so they can brazenly cheat. That's not a democracy folks.
7
Us so-callecd "alarmists" in the center and on the left have been saying for the past few years that Trump is stacking the Justice Dept. with sycophants so that he can do whatever he wants with impunity. Lo and behold, that's exactly what has happened. And Republicans nakedly support the dissolution of our long-touted system of checks and balances for petty political gain. Republicans have - since Nixon, at least - consistently chosen party over democracy, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
6
what did Roger Stone even do wrong? I personally do not believe Trump won the White House because of Russian Facebook adds.
He won because the workers of America united.
4
@simmons
The GOP is anti-union. I just want to make sure you are aware of that. If workers of America united behind Trump, they got conned.
4
@Kally go talk to a fork lift driver and ask who he voted for.
So, you were on the Jury and actually heard the charges and seen the evidence presented ?
And You heard sworn testimony and read All of the documents presented ?
Or did you listen to a Television Spokesperson present their opinion ?
Is that how we determine guilt or innocence ?
1
What good does it do the citizens of the republic, if its leaders and powerful people will not speak up in public, against evil operating unfettered in the open?
2
Trump learned nothing from impeachment as Collins wish. He will continue to do what he wants. It's so bad that Attorney General becomes his private lawyer and Department of Justice becomes his law firm. Republican doesn't care even Trump ruins the country. Only hope independent votes awake up and send him back to Trump Tower in November.
4
The prosecutors in question where asking for 9 years in prison for what basically amounts to a perjury indictment.. the punishment far exceeds the parameters of most violent crimes.. hard to believe the four prosecutors in question where also not acting out of their own political bias. Besides there was a lot of alleged perjury committed by various Obama era officials ... which is now being actively investigated.. I wonder if this paper would be so vindictive if the shoe is on the other proverbial foot.
5
Did you forget Witness tampering ?
Read All of the charges
5
What amazes me is how many otherwise important and intelligent politicians and journalists defer in quaking tremulousness to the Donald.
1
Barr is a pathetically corrupt AG.
What he is doing is undermining our democracy, constitution and rule of law.
In other works Mr Barr is the definition of a traitor to the United States.
And for what? To prop up a corrupt, immoral, conman like trump?
Vote my friends, Michael Bloomberg 2020
9
@jpduffy3 New York, NY
You want us to "turn the page" while ignoring the crimes committed; crimes which are clearly defined in the Federal Code. So, before turning that page, use that crayon to fill in the blank space.
11
They say we can't indict a sitting President, but we can wait until he's on the street amd nail him and his familiy even unto the 10th generation; that's a biblical thing for ace bandit Kushner to contemplate. Start a big list and start the States investigating. If Barr wants to be blocker, move around him.
6
What if Trumps is right. People get less time for manslaughter. In Ohio someone who commits vehicular manslaughter can get less than one year. In California, vehicular manslaughter goes for four years or less. Armed robbery with a weapon gets less than Stone. Stone didn't kill anyone or stick a gun in someones face to rob them. Who is to say Justice Department or other law enforcement agencies should be question free? When the North Carolina Attorney General stepped in and declared the Duke soccer team innocent, he called their prosecution a "rush to accuse." When we have political prosecution against someone, whose to say politics is not the motivation to "rush to accuse". In Stones case he was going to be sentenced to more time than if he killed someone or robbed someone with a gun. Trump didn't say he should go free. His concern was the sentence and maybe how long someone gets for a crime should be questioned.
4
Stone was found guilty in a jury trial. The sentencing guidelines are well established. Congress is welcome to address any legal process through hearings and legislation. That legislation, if signed into law, can be challenged in the courts. This is our process. Perhaps there are more than a few who want a different process or no process at all, i.e. a royal court and a rule by fiat. But, when the king comes for you, well...
3
@Ron
He hadn’t even been sentenced yet, you know. Trump could have eventually pardoned him but instead he interfered. Stone would have been better off if Trump had stayed out of it.
4
@Ron
If you removed Trump from the equation, everyone here would likely agree. It was an extremely unfair sentence. Most NYT readers don't normally support draconian sentences, but it's Trump so they've lost all perspective.
1
Hey everybody Roger Stone actually had a real trial where a jury of 12 was selected and where witnesses were called and evidence was submitted and a verdict was rendered. Wow, irregardless of the verdict, this is the way it is done in a legitimate world. Not like the Republican senators who violated and stuck their noses up at doing the right thing and insulted the American way to protect their totally corrupt leader Donald J. Trump.
16
Why is everyone so afraid of "offending" Mr. Trump? SO WHAT!! Our elected government officials work for us, the citizens, not for him. When will they stop kowtowing to this narcissist?
19
What was that, Senator Collins? He has surely learned his lesson?
Yes, he has, loud an clearly. And you enabled it.
12
I understand the anger regarding Senator Collins, but think about it. She actually has stood up for what’s right on some crucial votes. Perhaps we should direct more of our wrath toward those who ALWAYS vote to hurt our country.
@Ziggy
My anger is not about her voting to acquit, that was expected. My anger is about her - yet again - naiive "He has learned his lesson".
1
The prosecutors' initial recommendation of 7 to 9 years jail time for a 70 year old man for lying to investigators was a savage proposal. Of course, progressives are happy with that while they cheer on New York's new bail reform law turns loose individuals who commit vehicular homicide or rob banks or assault others. What bizarro world are progressives living in?
5
"Trump has continually injected himself into federal investigations and prosecutions involving his political friends and enemies..."
America, American's, Republicans, Congress, Senate, Supreme Court, All Courts, America's Legal Systems, Our Constitution, as it once was...like, when President Obama occupied our White House...?
Is there not one of you oath swearers' who can see the extreme insane similarity of your Dictator Trump, and the fear of hundreds of thousands of 'dead' citizens worldwide, also from their self-appointed Dictator's wrath of deep disturbed mental injustice at their pleasure...?
How can any administration fix problems it denies exists?
"When one errors and acknowledges, one tells oneself one is wiser this day than yesterday..."
"When one discovers truth one becomes rational, reasonable, responsible."
"No individual is so grand, so wise, so perfect as to be master of another...no one."
4
Tomeka Hart revealed Wednesday that she was the foreperson of the jury that convicted Roger Stone on obstruction charges last year -- and soon afterward, her history of Democratic activism and a string of her anti-Trump, left-wing social media posts came to light.
This is truly ridiculous!
5
@Queen Mary
It's also irrelevant in the sense that it has nothing to do with Barr and Trump's interference. It's like trying to use Hunter Biden as an excuse for Trump extortion attempt. It will work for his base, but it's a separate issue.
4
I don’t think we have anything to worry about... I’m sure that the re-education camps are almost ready to start accepting the first new occupants and out fearless leader will explain everything to us soon
3
Barr has sold out the Justice Department, just like Pompeo has sold out the State Department, just like McConnell has sold out the Senate and the Judiciary. All for what? A pathologically narcissistic two year old? Why would anyone waste our democracy for that? Vote Blue in November.
13
My advice to the prosecutors is to hang in there. We will need your prosecutorial skills, integrity, and experience in 2021 when the corrupt lying traitors Trump, Barr, Pence, Pompeo, Giuliani, Mulvaney, McConnell, Jordan, Nunes, Graham, etc... "serve" as defendants in this conspiratorial assault on the US Constitution and the rule of law.
6
Democrats should have made this the central issue in the impeachment- Trump's interference with the rule of law and use of goons like Rudy, Don Jr. Stone and William Barr to prevent investigations of Trump's corruption and treason. Democrats brought a toy gun to a gunfight with Ar-15s on the other side.
1
What a missed opportunity...
Trump should have insisted on the maximum
and then
PARDONED HIM.
4
I prefer presidents who don't place fear of retribution in the minds of all of us. The nation is now waiting for the next bad thing to happen, which could be in a few minutes, and then find out who shall pay at the hands of hate and disinformation.
10
The separation of powers is the basis of our government. The executive power of the pardon is given to the President and state Governors as a remedy of judicial error or excess. It is not a get out of jail free card for political felons.
8
The headline is the whole point of Trump Criminal Enterprise. Threats, firings, prosecution of enemies, hollowing out departments and agencies. This is how autocrats do it. The family has bolted the federal government onto its organization. Free press and free speech are in the crosshairs. Democracy out.
10
@The Kid
Yes, this is pretty much how it would be if the mob were in charge of the government. Barr is Trump’s consigliere.
1
For a long time, black and brown people in this country have known and experienced that the face of justice, one too many times, has not shined brightly on them. So, for many of us, this abhorrent behavior comes as no surprise. However, for my fellow Americans that talk about this and that for the sake of their children and their children's children, consider the words of Martin Niemoller (1892-1984):
First They Came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out - Because I was not a Socialist.
Then They Came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then They Came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - Because I was a Jew.
Then They Came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.
12
@Oliver from Oliver - correction: the third line of Martin Niemoller's poem should read, "Then They Came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - Because I was not a Jew.
Perhaps Trump will prove to be the one leader in history who gained power through fear-mongering and misinformation, worked to destroy the country’s faith in all of its public institutions, coerced and corrupted those with the power to hold him accountable, and aggressively attacked anyone who dared to question him but did NOT become a totalitarian dictator.
There's a first time for everything, after all..
1
It comes down to this: the Republicans enjoy being in the same club as Trump, their dictator. They won’t care until a Democrat comes along and does the same thing. But they know they won’t have to worry about that because they know Democrats won’t let that happen.
4
Judge ,trial and executioner equals Trump. When enablers like Barr and the GOP support the actions of an autocrat, Democracy and justice stand no chance.
5
We are witnessing the tsunami of collateral damage of an enraged bully unhinged.
We The People are faced with another American Revolution. It is Our charge to end this republican Coup d'état. Vote Blue, any shade of Blue on 11-3-2020. Make it a historial voter turn out that future generations will read; The Year our Constitional Democracy was rescued from the brink of no return.
10
I moved to Canada from New York seven years ago and do not plan to go back to live in the US. I have lived in China and Sri Lanka and been to North Korea and never thought to see similarities between US government/law enforcement practices and third-world countries and dictatorships.
5
If it can happen here, it can happen in Canada, too. Reading the recent articles on that western Canadian pipeline, corporations, money, won over indigenous, environmental concerns. Complacency happens. Here, and in Canada.
Trump is remolding the entire executive branch to be his personal implement, as any dictator would do. He is doing it with the help of the key agency, the justice department, that is intended to be an impartial check on that power, and the congress, through abdication in the senate, which is supposed to be another check. With McConnell's help he is doing the same with the judiciary.
Meanwhile, his supporters are bought off by a few shiny coins and empty rhetoric, white supremacy and stoked xenophobia, and their delight that Trump goads liberals.
What virtually all of Trump's supporters, inside and outside government, have in common is that they value power or their own privilege above democracy, and have for a long time. Trump is just making it more manifest. This is what is at stake in the next election.
5
And when we think Trump and his outlaw gang can't go lower, they somehow manage to do so. I hope the judge stands up to these thugs in DC and imposes at least the recommended sentence if not more for Stone's decades of political thuggery. Next step: remove Barr, who has become Trump's personal lawyer at taxpayer expense.
5
The number of people willing to pronounce that the worst president in our nation's history is bound to get a second term is sickening.
Have you already given up? Are you not rolling up your sleeves and donating and working to support an alternative?
If you've given up, God help us.
I think Americans are made of sterner stuff.
Stop crying and get to work.
Be the change.
Our nation and form of government (flawed as it is) are worth fighting for!
7
We need street marches, loud vocal protests, every voter to the polls... local,state and national! This political travesty must be removed,locked up and evaluated!
A few days ago Sue Collins Senator of Maine rationalized her vote not to impeach saying it’s O.K. to keep Donald Trump in office because he’s “learned from this case.”
Really? His "vindication" in the impeachment has apparently only emboldened him.
3
There are politics in each and every organization...boo hoo.
I once worked for the US Attorney's Office out of Houston...let me assure you that the politics from state level politicians was intense, much more intense than this.
1
@Simon
Anyone whose path has ever crossed an AUSA understands that extreme sentences are not always warranted. Quite frankly, I am truly sick of unelected bureaucrats trying to get retribution against a president duly elected.
1
@AACNY
Agreed.
What to expect? The Republican U.S. Senate made Trump king by acquittal of impeachment when he was guilty by his own words.
5
You’ve got to hand it to AG Barr; getting rid of Ms. Liu didn’t take multiple trips to Ukraine, didn’t need Giuliani, Lev or Igor, - he just....persuaded her to step down early- that pesky confirmation process could take so long, doncha know.
And compared to the disinformation campaign against that Ukrainian ambassador, a few objections, based on lies, was good enough to take her down. How easy it was.
And AG Barr agreeing to testify in the House....wow. I’m guessing he’ll probably find some excuse to put it off, or have to excuse himself- executive privilege, royal prerogative... something will come up.
Poor Stone, sitting there, waiting for his pardon. But once pardoned, then he might have to testify? No Fifth Amendment need then.
And this is our government. Not dealing with our growing deficits, our infrastructure needs, our voting machinery security- but obsessed with a convicted felon. Thanks Republicans, we certainly needed that.
3
When Mr Barr was nominated to be AG the impression was that while conservative, he was a man of integrity and independence. It seem that all that was a facade and he checked ethical and moral behavior at the door and is really just a low level political lackey.
3
If any further proof was needed that democracy in the United States has died under Trump, the Stone case has finally proved it.
5
To those of you who work for and value our democratic institutions:
Please do not resign.
Stay and fight.
Refuse orders you know to be immoral and illegal.
Proclaim to what remains of the free press if you’ve been asked to do something wrong, even if all you can say is “I’ve been asked to do something wrong but I can’t say what.”
Be fired rather than resign.
Do not obey in advance.
3
And this is how democracies die. We are now in a dictatorship or on the road to one.
2
So far, Trump has emasculated the Republican controlled senate and now the DOJ through William Barr. He is already taking aim at the Judiciary with his attacks on Judge Jackson. If, Judge Jackson follows the initial DOJ sentencing recommendation in the Stone case, Trump will find a way to abrogate her decision through pardon or commutation of Stone's sentence. and, will effectively have eliminated the last guardrail of our democracy, the Judiciary.
If this happens, Trump will take direct aim at the one remaining institution that has stood up to him: the press. He will use the tools at his disposal, notably, the FCC to do his dirty work and complete his march to becoming a fully-fledged autocrat, i.e., dictator. And, he would then be in the position to cancel the November elections as there would be no one left to stop him.
What would then happen is anyone's guess which could include demonstrations, riots and most fearfully...civil war.
Alarmist, you bettcha. But better sounding the alarm bells now then when it would be too late.
1
This can't be happening. Trump has been chastened. Go ask Susan Collins.
4
An ugly 3 years just became uglier and far more threatening.
Trump is our Western Godzilla, brought to life by an increasingly mercenary and ruthless society, where destruction - of people and the world - is not merely tolerated but celebrated insofar as it produces profits.
There was intense fear when I grew up - and especially in Japan for obvious reasons - that nuclear war would destroy human ways of life. Now we know that there are many ways to that destruction. One unforeseen - in the US - is the usurping all of the legal control of a country. where the people weren't paying enough attention to the growing monster within.
1
I guess we are no longer the ‘home of the brave’!
2
As a retired Assistant U.S. Attorney, I take the corruption of the Department of Justice personally. A change in administration meant shifts in policy, perhaps more of an emphasis on white collar crimes rather than drug trafficking. We viewed the change much like a change in command at a military base, you salute the new commander and keep doing your job. The Stone interference is not just an aberration, it is an abomination.
The prosecutors were doing their job. They were supporting the calculation of a reasonable sentence made by the Probation Office under the Sentencing Guidelines. The ultimate sentence is up to the judge, but the Guidelines try to calculate a sentence based on neutral factors - the base offense level based on the statutory violation and aggravating and mitigating factors based on conduct, i.e. abuse of a position of trust. The Department policy used to be to support the Guideline calculation unless there was a substantial reason to depart, such as the defendant's substantial assistance in cooperation. Apparently, that is out the window now. AUSAs must argue for departure where the defendant is a crony of the president.
The Department will argue for a lower sentence for Stone so that the eventual pardon will not seem so egregious. Bill Barr has taken control of cases in which Trump has an interest. There will be no investigations that do not suit the President's personal agenda. Autocracy has succeeded in strangling the rule of law.
946
@Mary - IMOP....These are becoming grounds to impeach Trump a second time as awful as that sounds considering the extreme effort it entails for our Dem Congressional reps.
51
@Mary, thank you. Just three more Republican senators with at least a vestigial spine joining Sen. Romney in calling for witnesses could have kept a leash on the mob of mad dogs running the country aground out of the oval office. Just three! I have no doubt that "witnesses and documents" (it's a catchphrase now, isn't it?) would have led to a greater probability of conviction, but at minimum would have at least put a bit more constraint on the trumpists. But instead, for want of just three senators, the inmates have been given free rein over the asylum. Every Republican who supports this autocratic administration should be ashamed. And almost every current Republican senator should be replaced. (Romney can stay, but I don't trust any others.)
70
@Mary
Yes, if only Trump and Barr had conducted their business secretly on a tarmac, for example. So much better when the public is unaware, don't you agree?
5
President Trump has no need to pressure the Justice Department or federal prosecutors to reduce sentencing recommendations. He can commute sentences or grant pardons. President Trump has granted 18 pardons and commuted six sentences. President Obama granted 142 pardons and commuted 1,715 sentences. Trump has proven less inclined to meddle with sentences than were previous presidents.
The Justice Department did not recommend a reduced sentence for Roger Stone. It withdrew the initial recommendation and recommended an unspecified term of incarceration. In other words, it recommended a prison sentence for Stone, but did not recommend a sentence length.
Both President Trump and the Justice Department deny that the president told the department what to do in regard to Roger Stone’s sentence recommendation. The Justice Department says it made the decision to withdraw the initial recommendation on Monday night before Trump tweeted his objection to the initial recommendation and without talking to the White House.
1
@William Case
"The Justice Department says it made the decision to withdraw the initial recommendation on Monday night before Trump tweeted his objection to the initial recommendation and without talking to the White House."
Seriously? Given everything we've witnessed in the last three horrible years (Trump has lied over 16,000 times), you actually believe this?
"I love the poorly educated."
Donald Trump, February 23, 2016
Some people fall right into his wheelhouse.
4
It seems some media outlets on the right have broken the anonymity and leaked the identity of one of the jurors. They claim the person is biased. Maybe so, but it's also irrelevant to Mr. Barr's and the President's actions. They will however use that to muddy the waters in a similar way they used Donald's attempted extortion of the Ukrainians to smear the Bidens. One thing has nothing to do with the other, but the goal is to obfuscate and give his base something to latch onto. It works for them.
6
@Rick She made herself known on social media.
Barr has made fundamental changes in the role of the AG and the DOJ. They are not changes that are compatible with our democracy, in fact, they are much more compatible with an autocracy or dictatorship. I feel we are on the cusp of a drastic change in America. Trump is now free--thanks to his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial--to reform America to his idea of a government that benefits himself, his family, and his party. Barr is leading this parade and has been for the last year. We stand and watch the imperializing of America at our own peril. We are the ones who are losing our country not by inches but by leaps and bounds. Many Americans are pinning their hopes on the coming elections. These elections not only must be free and fair for the American people to speak, but they must also actually happen. This week has shown me that I can't take that for granted. If I want my country and its democracy, I am going to have to do something to fight for it. We all are. Do we have the courage? I sure hope so. The alternative is bleak indeed.
6
to republican senators, save mitt romney -
you thought trump would learn a lesson. you thought the experience of being impeached would lead trump to tone things down. you thought a lot of thinks false that turned out to be true and didn't think about the consequences of your actions.
everybody knows - trump doubles down. trump counterpunches.
most fighters end up getting knocked out eventually.
you may have another chance - trump may become the first president to be impeached twice - a distinction he richly deserves bu virtue of his actions to destroy democracy and trample the constitution.
i have begun taking an active part in this year's elections and i will do everything i can to elect trump's opponent, whomever it may be, and to remove every senator that abdicated the obligations of the oath of office and the oath to be an impartial juror in the impeachment trial where the evidence was ignored. the most valuable things to come out may be the doodles you wasted your time drawing during the trial.
11
Trump projects onto others motives and missteps he is himself guilty of. In this case, "The president congratulated Mr. Barr on Wednesday 'for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought' and said prosecutors 'ought to apologize' to Mr. Stone".
"Out of control" more accurately describes Trump and Barr for interfering in what was a legitimate accusation and prosecution of Mr. Stone for serious crimes and a by-the-book sentencing.
"Out of control" more accurately describes Trump's response to people of integrity like Lt. Colonel Vindman, who was "guilty" of telling the truth about Trump's crimes.
"Out of control" describes a President who cares less for integrity or the rule of law than for unquestioned loyalty to himself regardless of what he says and does.
Nobody owes Stone an apology, However, Trump owes America
an apology.
6
Our current structure in which Judicial Policy and Prosecutorial responsibilities are under the Executive Branch creates the opportunity for a President to use the DOJ as a weapon against political opponents, and ,as we have now, as a tool to help friends. While judicial policy should remain w/in the Executive Branch, the independence of the prosecutorial function of the DOJ must be protected. Maybe now is the time to consider an independent agency akin to the Federal Reserve Board to oversee this function. It is sad to realize that after 200+ yrs of relatively stable functioning, trump has overturned the cart with a tweet. Really SAD! We must increase efforts to teach our children that democracy relies on an independent judiciary process to succeed.
4
Unfortunately, we all know how this will end. Nothing will happen. The current White House administration has demonstrated that we are more a monarchy than a republic. In the current era, the Congress does not seem to be an "equal" branch of the federal government. The Congress is powerless. They can request documents but the White House can deny those request--nothing happens. They can subpoena members of the White House but the President and his cabinet members will ignore these demands--nothing happens. Sadly, the Congress is powerless--in the case of the Democratic representatives and senators--or afraid of not playing along with the President--in the case of the Republican representatives and senators.
3
After seeing decades of seeing a two-tiered system of justice, one for Democrats and another for Republicans, and 3 years of seeing many in the FBI, DOJ, and federal courts acting as co-conspirators in the Democrat's attempted coup of President Trump I no longer give any of them the benefit of the doubt.
So when I see AG Barr correcting an obviously unfair sentencing recommendation from Hillary supporting prosecutors I say thank you and keep up the good work and a political pox on those Democrats who are ever ready to attack the integrity of anyone who opposes them or supports Trump.
1
The only thing that gets Trump supporters out of bed in the morning is they get another day to moan about how unfair life is for Trump supporters.
4
I am a former AUSA and just as disgusted as the rest of them. My suggestion is that whenever a superior directs that something illegal, or questionable, be done that the attorney report it immediately to: 1) the DOJ Inspector General; 2), the court; and, 3) to the state bar association that has that superior's law license.
Let's see if that gets their attention.
5
It almost feels as if Trump was testing the Justice Department water by sticking his big toe in it when "merely" mentioning Stone's prison sentence recommendation. Suddenly the attorney general intervenes with a lesser sentence recommendation, four career prosecutors quit the case, and Stone's case will in all likelihood be re- reviewed.
The fact that huge, unprecedented action in a federal case almost immediately occurred by the attorney general after Trump was merely "talking out loud" was the green light for him. Going forward, it's not a far stretch in believing other scenarios and friends of this president could receive less jail time, if any at all. It will all rest in Trump's lap, whatever HE deems best in HIS own interests for whatever friend is arrested and convicted.
I guess Trump thinks giving a good friend a presidential pardon is too obvious, but reaching out to the attorney general and "asking for a favor" is not.
8
Roger Stone is a bad actor and needs to go away. That being said, others who've lied to Congress, Jim Comey and Andy McCabe for example, haven't spent a minute behind bars. But sending Stone away for nine years seems extremely excessive in light of a sentence for a first time unarmed robbery charge of one to three years.
2
This is just child's game compared to what federal judges do. As I learned in my own litigation (Overview Books v. US), federal judges simply replace in their decisions parties' argument with the bogus argument of judges' own concoction, pulled out of thin air so as to decide a case the way they want to, not the way they have to. Judges simply act as lawyers to the party they want to win. When I sued those judges for fraud, they argued that in Pierson v. Ray they gave themselves the right to act from the bench "maliciously and corruptly."
So much for the "rule of law" and for much-vaunted "due process."
While the press focuses on Trump, it refuses to cover the fact that a full third of US government -- federal judiciary -- is officially and proudly corrupt and malicious, and that due process is a myth. I wrote innumerable op-eds, contacted countless journalists and law professors -- and the silence about this outrage is deafening...
1
Someone who can mean something is going to have to say enough is enough. It’s either going to be a politician or the people who elect the politicians. Unfortunately half have already elected the man they admire.
2
This provides even more evidence that this administration is corrupt and taking us all down a path where laws and truth no longer matter. I also wonder what is motivating Barr to act this way. Does someone have something on him that has seemingly forced him on this path?
1
I am beginning to think that a democracy is a fragile state of affairs that can be damaged or destroyed by a few bad actors. We seem to be well down that road.
3
In the normal world no one ever gets charged with obstruction on an investigation that determines there was no underlying crime. And if they do, they would get probation. This is just Weismann (who ran the “Mueller” investigation) punishing people close to Trump. Stone's prosecution was political (and with a Chinese-like 90%+ conviction rate it's no wonder he was found guilty). His sentencing recommendation was vindictive, and Trump should pardon him today.
12
@MJG No it wasn’t. He was convicted by a jury of his peers. He committed obstruction of justice, tampering with a witness and lying to Congress. He could’ve received a much longer sentence.
56
In a “normal world” crooks do not get pardoned.
46
@MJG Just not true.
26
Donald Trump is ripping apart the functions of our government and the rule of law both due to his innate autocratic tendencies, and also to keep himself from being removed from office, and thus face possible prosecution.
The Republican party, however, is more than happy to sit back and let Trump rip and tear to his heart's content. Republicans have been working for decades to leverage their extremist, broadly unpopular ideas into practice: their Rovian desire for "permanent majority", their radical concept of a "unitary executive", their love of gerrymandering and voter suppression and election fraud, they've also stacked the court with right-wing extremists with deep-seated bigotry toward women, minorities, and LGBT, or those who espouse extremist Dominionist Christian beliefs. Republicans have been working toward this for decades, and are happy to steal a Supreme Court seat, or allow the corruption of our institutions to achieve it. As their hatchet man, they have William Barr, who is one of the most corrupt Attorney Generals in history. Barr was a cover-up artist for the crimes of Iran Contra, and is an ideal fit as a cover-up man for the manifold and ongoing crimes of Donald Trump and those in his orbit.
The rule of law is what holds our society and our nation together. Yet, it couldn't be clearer that the Republican party has no respect for the necessity or the integrity of the law. Republicans are happy to destroy it for power. We're seeing that in real time.
49
@Dominic
Yes
The Right is against political equality as demanded by the 14th Amendment, but does not have a super-majority to repeal it, so instead they corrupt the government to undo the Constitution.
That is extreme.
The Right would rather have a white King than be politically equal to minorites, LGBTQs, out liberals. They want to use Government power to advise you for fun and profit.
The Left argues passionately for the values in the Preamble of the Constitution. That is moderate.
Centrists need to choose a side.
@ Dominic completely correct. Republicans are throwing off the last vestiges of lip service to democratic governance, they want to rule; total authority. They have become lock stock and barrel the American equivalent of Lenin and Trotskys Bolshevik Party.
All I can say is that I admired this country so much and had no problems accepting a job offering here in the US so many years ago. Yes, I moved from Canada to the US and married another professional. I love Canada and if it would not be for my husband, and partially age now, I would move back in a heart beat.
My family immigrated from war torn Germany to Canada and I still have family there. I am absolutely heart broken to see what is happening here. I took American history and art history in college and of course know German and European history very well.
Unfortunately, it seems to me, looking back into history and seeing how Republics and Democracies died in the ancient and not so ancient past, I fear this is what is happening right now here in the US. This democratic Republic seems to be slowly failing and dying. It is indeed true that the only way we can survive this road to a dictatorship is to stand up united against our tyrant in the White House and vote him out of office. Unfortunately Trump shares a lot of traits with past and present dictators and no one seems to be able to reign him in. His admiration of dictators is well known, he particularly seems to admire and adore Putin who used to be a KBG member and learned knows how succesfully rule as a dictator. If he is not voted out of office it will be a very dark sad day for this country and the US will have become a Banana Republic or it will be run by a dictatorship.
32
Your story mirrors mine! Born and raised in Canada, took a job in Texas for the adventure then found the love of my life.
1
@GECAUS: Students of history try to keep it from repeating to no avail.
1
@Steve Bolger: My mind is boggled by the developing situation with this purportedly only hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile. When that reservoir is filled to a decent head to generate electricity, there will be so much stagnant water with so much surface are exposed to the hot and dry climate that a significant fraction will just evaporate.
Democracy and the rule of law are crippled as Trump effects a fascist dictatorship. That Barr has been scheduled to appear six weeks from now before Congress leaves ample time for him to obstruct Congress again and not appear. Mssrs. Barr and Shea should be impeached, removed and disbarred now.
24
Let me get this straight. The 2020 election if Trump wins is illegitimate and the indictments involving a coup by the Obama administration's FBI to overthrow a duly elected president brought by Durham's team and handed to Barr to will be suspect.
4
"On Wednesday night, Mr. Shea told staff members that he respected their work and vowed to “do my best” to support it, according to an email he wrote to the office that was reviewed by The New York Times."
________
Um, huh?
1
So I guess we can clearly see which party is for upholding the constitution and is concerned about law and order, and it is not the Republicans.
15
If prosecutors simply just carry out the law fairly and without political motivation and intent, then they should have nothing to fear from Donald J. Trump, the president of the United States. Just as FDR stated in his first inaugural address, “the only thing we we have to fear is...fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” In this case the “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror” was the victory of Trump over Hillary Rodham Clinton, which struck fear in the hearts of Establishment elites, who and it had do everything possible to rid the nation of Trump, including imprisoning his lieutenants. Thank you.
4
To southern boy—The operative word is “should not.” However, take a look at the reality. Many careers have been upended or destroed. And our country is the poorer for it.
1
Once again, the problem is not Trump. Read comments about this episode on social media, and here, from his base; notice how quiet Republican in Congress have been about this. the same party that not only sees all manner of corruption in Hunter Biden getting a job using his last name - with zero actual evidence of any kind of favors resulting from it - not only once again can see absolutely nothing wrong with what Trump and Barr have done here, but defend it in the usual way, that it's the liberal media out to get Trump, it's libs doing this, that and the other thing. Trump doesn't scare me. His enablers scare me. It's the people who can influence the powerful but stay silent, or even encourage behavior they know is corrupt, they know that, were it the other party they'd be taking applications for a firing squad, who refuse to say "No, you can't do this" to the king..they are the ones who scare me. It is clear that the right wing in this country has abandoned American democracy and has handed Donald Trump exactly what he's wanted: full impunity to take down democracy and turn America into a banana republic and dictatorship. Do they really b believe they won't be effected? And why does it cause them so much glee that it hurts so many people? What is wrong with the right wing in America?
16
@Virginia The RWis very good at keeping power with a minority of votes. They always talk about expanding the base but hate is a finite attractor.
2
@Virginia,
What is wrong with the right wing in America: They are authoritarians - see Bob Altemeyer's work, especially his book The Authoritarians (2006) to get an insightful view of what is wrong with them, in terms of personality traits/character (i.e. the "authoritarian personality"). I also recommend John Dean's Conservatives Without Conscience.
Illuminating, both.
Trump is betraying America, and the Republicans are providing him cover. AG Barr is acting as the Defense Attorney of this Plot Against America, with co-conspirators Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynn already convicted.
The strongest reason to impeach Trump, and defeat him in November, is that he endangers our National Security by repeatedly and consistently aiding a foreign power, Russia. This is Treason, and all Americans must understand this.
Trump’s tax returns would also show that he is in hock to Putin-connected Russian oligarchs, which is why Trump is so desperate to hide his financial records. Mueller was prevented from investigating Trump’s finances by Rosenstein, and Barr terminated the investigation prematurely.
Remarkably, virtually the entire Republican delegation in Congress (with the lone exception of Romney) is in complete denial of all of this.
The GOP has become the Gang of Putin!
22
Everyone with a conscience needs to resign from every level of government.
9
@D the loss will be negligible...
This feels like a tempest in a teapot. At a minimum the reporting feels like it supports the point of view there is overreach and wrong doing here by Barr and the President. But it seems the counter argument gets little attention. It's as though those who see this as a terrible breach and precedent are presented as impartial. I'm not sure I buy that. What would have been great is some more discussion about the recommended 9 year sentence and it's appropriateness for the crime committed. I've no reason to support Stone but 9 years is a very significant punishment.
5
To Charlie in nj—To undermine the federal prosecutors who followed the sentencing guidelines is to weaken the legal system on which we all depend. Stone lied to Congress and commited perjury, among other things. The White House via Justice, interfere to help a long-tome friend of POTUS. How many of us have connections this powerful when we, say, can’t pay our tax bill? Also, public servants, like Windman, were punished for obeying a Congressional subpoena which they are legally required to do and get punished. Equal justice under the law is what ordinary citizens depend on. If that is undermined we are all in peril. Banana republics and dictatorships use this tactic to stay in power. We used to call this corruption.
3
Maybe in the real world this is a poorly executed example of prosecutorial overreach and executive correction. We have the highest rate of incarceration in the industrial world, don’t we? When a friend of mine tells me of a cell mate in Federal Prison serving life for “financial crimes” on thin evidence with his lawyer threatened with time for representing him, it rapidly is true prison sentencing can be retribution not rehabilitation. One point my friend made was 90% of his fellows just did their time, the other 10% made good to not repeat the deeds that got them there.
2
We should expect the Trump re-election committee to monetize this new “policy”.
Denigrate the press, exact revenge on political rivals and co opt the power of govt agencies that would be a check on dictatorial power
Germany and now US
Call you congressman
6
It looks like the constitution has some flaws, and that US senators, Trump and others are breaking their oath to defend it against ALL enemies foreign and domestic.
Trump is clearly, factually, provably, obviously a criminal despot imitating the people he most admires and loves: Putin, Kim Jong Un, Erdogan, MBS, Duterte, Bolsonaro.
It's astounding that he can behave like a mob boss, now intimidating even federal prosecutors, and having corrupted the Justice Department with his scurrilous lackey Barr, and nobody seems to be able to stop him.
I now see why the John Adams, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, and others decided that they couldn't negotiate with or stop the despotism of the King of England without starting a revolution against him.
6
Barr is dismantling the Justice Department . And establishing Trump's personal Injustice Department.
9
The dismantling of a Democracy. Great theater, horrible consequences. As Jack said to Rose as he came to realize the gravity of the Titanic's situation, "this is bad"...
2
This is what happens when the palace coup fails. Those who are disloyal to the king are punished, not those who stood by him, so stop wringing your hands over the poor prosecutors in the DOJ. They should be going after the likes of Comey, Brennan, and Clapper. Then you’ll see the big sentences coming down. They’re the ones who ignored the rule of law.
3
Impeach William bar immediately this is long overdue and now clear evidence beyond the doubt this man is not up for the job
4
I cannot believe how many grown men and women are so terrified of this naked emperor, empty suited con man and fraudster, and charlatan. You capitulate to a bully, he only bullies more, and he'll get to you eventually too.
11
Barr should resign or be impeached!
3
Trump and his sycophants are following Hitler’s playbook to a “T”. People forget that Hitler, too, was elected by an ignorant, racist, aggrieved populace who ignored and enabled his autocratic moves. We will be in very big trouble if Trump is re-elected. He will become a true dictator and the “American Experiment” will have failed.
11
It looks like it's official. We are no longer a Democracy, but a tyranny, where the separate but equal powers of government mean nothing to a president willing to overrun them.
And this is making America great again?
3
Unhinged has now become unbridled!
In all actuality, there's always been abuse of power in the U.S., but now we are at least seeing it displayed in all its glory.
Pompeo, et al., must be singing … Hail to the King In all His splendor and majesty. Hail to the King of Kings Lord Jesus our God. We eagerly await the coming of the day that Trump becomes our Lord, Jesus!
6
Good - prosecutors should not be in habit of viciously going after people for political purposes.
As Volume One of the Mueller report told us, there never was a crime - that makes all the difference in the world.
Witch hunts, by their nature, can effect anybody. They are a virus that need to be stamped out - otherwise, you might be the next victim.
Bad politicians should be removed by elections, not cops.
4
Funny though how passive the American population is. We are on our way to be the first developed country "banana republic" with a whole corrupt and dishonest party who is actively enabling an incompetent authoritarian, with support from a hateful, ignorant, easily manipulated minority segment of our population while corruption, dishonesty and amorality are the new rule of law in the U.S. Yet, we are all "protesting via social media" instead of taking it to the streets to stop this.
2
The ball is now in the judge's court room She now has the responsibility to stand up for the independence of the judiciary as well as to adjudicate
What we know for sure is this: our oft-romanticized constitutional system really has massive holes in it. Everyone agrees Trump and Barr are violating NORMS, not laws. Our constitution, at least according to all current power holders, enables the President to do anything he wants, to and/or for anyone. For instance, he could organize a bank robbery. He could actually participate in the robbery himself. He would face no criminal charges. He might face impeachment, but the current Senate has already declared that no behavior is actionable if there is an election in the foreseeable future. Lastly, he can pardon all involved, including himself. All perfectly legal. Makes you want to sing the National Anthem, doesn’t it?! One can only imagine what Trump’s 2nd term is going to be like. Organized crime, in broad daylight, celebrated, maybe even recorded, by Fox, for their programming. Maybe, once a week, Trump could randomly shoot someone on 5th Avenue. Or, even better, he could select a lucky rally attendee who gets to hunt down and kill a Democrat. The entertainment possibilities are limited only by the imagination. God bless America.
3
Who is going to stop this? Retribution against perceived political rivals? Ruining the truth tellers? Our DOJ becoming the President's cop shop? THIS IS NOT DEMOCRACY
2
This may seem both tangential, and a bit specious, but I am so tired of Mr. Barr's visage. To me, he seems to exude, simultaneously, a kind of barely restrained contempt (for mere citizens; for his colleagues who would dare to be faithful to the law; for enemies who would presume to circumscribe the president's powers?) coupled with vast certainty of his unbounded and unchallengeable authority. Can you please consider changing the photo that accompanies this piece?
1
It's like we're living in the fable "The Emperor's New Clothes." The Democrats are the only ones who have the spine to be the child who declares "he's naked," and "this is un-American!"
You know we're truly in a world turned upside down when it's the Democrats who are exercising political courage.
2
We are now a dictatorship.
And the first sign is the press refusing to call it a dictatorship — much like in Russia.
Next up, no more elections.
7
The bully is winning.
4
Trump is the President, not the Dictator. Oh wait....
1
Barr has to go.
2
The Times is winning!
Hats off! I enjoy the ridiculous defensive online front by Trump’s supporters. The trolls love of Roger Stone, the self proclaimed “prankster,” is a tough one to beat, however; Stone is less interesting than the actual report. That’s what the trolls don’t get. They don’t get that it’s a report. I could care less how a prosecutor “feels.” Doubt they care either, a jobs a job.
I dare say-the New York Times is WINNING!
Winning!
2
Their coup attempt failed. The DOJ plotters should be afraid.
2
Be sure to vote.
2
Democracy is in the emergency room due to trump the dictator!
2
President Trump is in charge of accurately enforcing the laws of our country and AG Barr takes his job seriously---unlike the likes of Holder and John Mitchel. After the biased work of Robert Mueller and his angry Democrat lawyers and Adam Schiff's relentless bias and dishonesty about the bogus and incompetently done impeachment fiasco---the Justice Dept and Trump are on their toes. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!
3
I sincerely hope prosecutors will continue to take up politically sensitive cases like Stone's. "Force" Barr to exert this power each time. Don't take it as a foregone conclusion.
5
Can anyone remember a mention of "The Night of the Long Knives", in their European History studies? It occurred on June 30th, 1934 when opposition leaders were removed for threatening the powers that be during those calamitous years in Germany during the 1930's?
Things are increasingly getting too similar to what happened in 1930's Europe.
16
I'm not a fan of the harsh federal sentencing guidelines. We tend to put people in jail and under supervision longer than necessary and there are few good alternatives to incarceration.
The President doesn't get to decide who is prosecuted, who isn't and what the appropriate sentence for the crimes are. We have a system where prosecutors make recommendations, defendants and their lawyers get to make rebuttals and an impartial Federal Judges, appointed by a President, confirmed by the Senate for life, decide the appropriate sentences.
The President has run roughshod over Congress and now he is running roughshod over the Courts. Roger Stone threatened both a witness and a Federal Judge. Those are extenuating circumstances. Let him show remorse, let a Judge make an informed decision on his fate. Justice isn't perfect but it's better without the powerful office of the President injecting itself.
Most of the harsher federal guidelines are in place because of Republicans historic insistence on harsh sentencing. President Trump himself publicly asked for the death sentence on young boys wrongly accused of a horrendous attack on a NYC women.
He certainly doesn't have the judgement or the temperament to make sentencing decisions that Federal Judges are asked to make all the time. It's simply another abuse of his power.
11
This administration seems more like a mafia operation now than a government that has checks and balances. Trump's goal, and possibly Putin's is to undermine our institutions to the extant that we lose confidence in these institutions and turn away in frustration. On one side there are his supporters who think he is battling the deep state on the other side you create people who find it futile to believe in these institutions anymore. You create a populace alienated by the government and not united by any shared belief. The ultimate result being the oligarchs can do what they want and get away with it.
6
Career Government employees,
PLEASE DON'T RESIGN.
The plan of the Party of Trump is to get honest government employees to resign. They are gutting our government from the inside out. No foreign army could have done so much damage to our Republic as the Trump Administration, short of nuclear war.
The President and his appointees are called an "Administration" because they are supposed to administer the state The Definition of adminster is to "manage and be responsible for the running of (a business, organization, etc.)." The Trump Administration is trying to "dismantle the administrative state" as Bannon repeatedly said.
The Trump Administration refuses to fill empty positions, refuses to submit its acting directors to the Senate confirmation process, and keeps trying to force people to resign by demanding they do the opposite of their jobs.
It's not an accident. It is not merely bad management, Trump's "style," or ignorance about how the government works. It is a systematic attack on our government from the Oval Office. The more honest people they can get to resign, the easier it is to loot and destroy our Constitutional Republic.
This is not a SECRET conspiracy. The Republican Party has been saying, "THE GOVERNMENT IS THE ENEMY," for over fifty years. "The government IS Our Republic, as defined by the Constitution, ratified by We the People.
They announced that they are Our enemy, that they want to "drown our government in a bathtub," and they are dismantling it ON TV.
10
There is far too much discussion of Trump and far too little of whether the recommended sentence was indeed excessive.
American sentences generally tend to be excessive. In New York City you can go to prison for 25 years for hitting a cabbie. America needs to cut down on heavy punishments and long sentences. This has nothing to do specifically with Stone but I have a suspicion that the long sentence recommended has to do with "we hate Trump so let's get Stone".
That is not Justice; let the sentence be fair.
1
Sorry, but your comment completely misses the point. Sentencing guidelines are a separate issue. The President should not intervene in what should be an independent Judiciary. Full stop.
5
@JLP It doesn't miss the point. There is something called nuance. There are multiple points. Having a real conversation about the harsh sentencing guidelines is certainly a relevant part of this conversation.
1
I think it’s time to start formally asking trump’s base if they would be good with trump as dictator for life. I already kinda know what the answer would be. Everybody else really needs to ignore the noise and vote for whoever emerges on the Dem side. It’s probably the last election.
7
My son said that the people he works with do want Trump to remain president for life. Seeing some comments on here, I would say that we’re in danger of that happening. As for social media, no one should allow Facebook, or any similar platform, to influence their opinions.
Nothing in this article about the jury foreperson in this case, how she mocked Stone's arrest before being seated, called Trump voters "racists". Exactly what is the meaning of a "fair trial"?
2
Mr. Two Terms says what he thinks, and he does not care one bit that folks on these pages don’t like it. Good. The whole thing with Stone was a political farce. Showing up at dawn with guns drawn as if they were arresting Bin Laden (not some non violent geriatric), and they were so concerned about violence or destruction of evidence that they first tipped off CNN so they would just happen to be outside the house with cameras ready. Now a bunch of politicized prosecutors want to make a name for themselves by charging nine years for obstruction style crimes. Go into any court room in any city in this country and you’ll see people perjuring themselves with impunity to cover up murders, rapes and all kinds of other crimes. What happens when they’re caught lying? Typically nothing. Here it’s not even clear what Stone did was a crime. He may have coordinated with Wikileaks who coordinated the receipt and distribution of hacked materials; however, the receipt and distribution of stolen information is not illegal. Newspapers such as this one publish stories all the time that would not be possible without information that illegally acquired by someone. The crime is the theft or the conspiracy to commit the theft. There’s literally no evidence Stone much less Trump had any advanced knowledge of the actual theft (the hacking) even if they may have had advanced information as to the release. The release isn’t the crime.
Get over 2016. A fresh loss is right around the corner!
1
What? You thought the United States was still a republic? You thought the rule of law was still in force? Open your eyes. It's a new world. The Orange King will not allow his favorites to be subjected to the law. In the kingdom of Trump, judgment proceeds from the royal tweet. And none who are loyal to the king shall suffer harm, no matter how grave their crimes.
5
Republicans started openly showing their disdain for the working class under Obama. Now they’re openly showing their disdain for law and order and the constitution
7
Barr is a disgrace. He should not only be disbarred but jailed for obstruction of justice. And federal prosecutors should resign en masse to protest White House interference in the criminal trials and sentencing of Trump's accomplices.
6
For those inquisitive Americans who always wanted to know what it would feel like living in a banana republic you get your answers. Trump is the first American king. We are all his subjects. Even though most people know he has the power to pardon Roger Stone he prefers to engage in a scathing diatribe attacking the federal prosecutors as being unfair and needing to go back to school. This from a man who just a few days ago confused Concord, NH with Concord, MA. And that came on the heels of congratulating the Kansas Chiefs and the great state of Kansas. In fact if you are a true football fan you know that the Kansas Chiefs play in Kansas City, Missouri not Kansas City, Kansas. This coming from a man who wants inveterate federal prosecutors to go back to school. Instead of apples trees I'll be looking out at banana trees pretty soon.
13
The march towards dictatorship continues unabated.
19
Be clear. Trump trashes and fouls everything he touches because he's ALLOWED to do so -- by legions of drones who worship him at rallies, give him their votes, but get nothing in return but talk, talk talk; served by a coterie of scared bootlicking politicians and career cowards who fear his wrath as if he were some mythological god [he is NOT]. Investigations are necessary and voting is essential, but Trump needs a large dose of worldwide public humiliation of the kind that cannot be spun or tweeted out of existence -- complete with tapes and photos, laughing and sneering around the clock especially by his pals in Russia, North Korea, China and Saudi Arabia. There's only one way to deal with a bully whether it's in the school yard, the board room or the Oval Office.
10
How is it possible that few seem to appreciate that Trump, by attacking our legal institutions, is defending himself in future court cases by undermining our rule of law. He must destroy the legitimacy of Department of Justice, the FBI and the Federal Courts because of the many cases involving himself that will be surfacing soon. He played the same game with his attacks on the "main stream media", destroying their credibility over years of relentless attack. Why? So his gang in the Senate and among the electorate can deny his corrupt activities. Biden, and before him, Hillary, have to do nothing wrong. They merely have to be "investigated", either by foreign patsies or our own FBI and Department of Justice under henchman Barr. Wake up, folks.
10