Category Archives: Roger Stone

House members reportedly told Russia is working to get Trump re-elected – as it happened

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  • President ‘berated’ intelligence chief over briefing – New York Times
  • Roger Stone asks for Trump pardon after 40-month sentence
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It was another evening of late-breaking news. Here’s a summary as our live politics coverage ends for the night:

Elizabeth Warren is not done with her demans that Michael Bloomberg, billionaire former New York mayor and late entrant into the 2020 Democratic primary, release former employees who have brought lawsuits against Bloomberg and his company from their nondisclosure agreements.

The goal, Warren has said: allowing women to talk candidly about the behavior that prompted the lawsuits, and ensuring transparency in the primary.

Elizabeth Warren opens her CNN town hall by saying she brought something with her -- a contract she wrote up that she says would release former Bloomberg employees from NDAs.

"I used to teach contract law... All he has to do is sign it. I’ll text it."

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Roger Stone has ‘very good chance of exoneration’, says Trump – video

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Donald Trump said his longtime ally Roger Stone had a ‘very good chance of exoneration’, addressing the case for the first time since his former associate was sentenced at a Las Vegas event on Thursday 20 February. Trump also said the jury foreman in Stone’s case was ‘totally tainted’ and an an ‘anti-Trump activist’. After he issued a series of commutations and pardons earlier this week, speculation that Trump will pardon Stone has intensified

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Roger Stone’s sentencing to move ahead after judge refuses new trial request

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  • Trump ally guilty on seven counts, including lying to Congress
  • President claims conviction ‘should be thrown out’

Roger Stone, a longtime ally of Donald Trump and a self-described political dirty trickster, is set to be sentenced on Thursday for his attempts to sabotage a congressional investigation that posed a political threat to the president.

The sentencing will go ahead despite an 11th-hour request by Stone’s defense team for a new trial following Trump’s claim that the conviction “should be thrown out”.

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Barr reportedly considers quitting as attorney general over Trump tweets

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Revelation comes days after Barr took swipe at president over apparent intervention in Roger Stone case

The attorney general, William Barr, has told people close to him he is considering quitting his post, after Donald Trump failed to heed his warning to stop tweeting about justice department cases, administration officials told the Washington Post and Associated Press.

The revelation came days after Barr took a public swipe at the president, saying in a television interview that Trump’s tweets about justice department cases and staffers made it “impossible” for him to do his job. The next day, Trump ignored Barr’s request and insisted that he had the “legal right” to intervene in criminal cases and sidestep the department’s historical independence.

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Trump calls for Roger Stone’s conviction to be thrown out

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President condemns ‘fraudulent investigation’ and falsely claims that he is the country’s chief law enforcement officer

Donald Trump has called for his longtime ally Roger Stone’s recent conviction for witness tampering and lying to Congress to be thrown out.

Trump’s barrage of Tuesday morning tweets comes days after his own attorney general, William Barr, sparked a furore over his apparent intervention in the case.

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Trump claims he has ‘legal right’ to intervene in criminal cases

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President reasserts his right to tweet on judicial issues following William Barr’s warning the posts ‘make it impossible for me to do my job’

Donald Trump has ignored a plea from his attorney general, William Barr, to not tweet about ongoing legal cases, by using his Twitter account to say he has a “legal right” to do so.

Barr delivered a remarkable public rebuke of the president just hours earlier, saying that Trump’s tweets “make it impossible for me to do my job” and that he would not be “bullied or influenced” over justice department decisions.

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Senate votes to restrict Trump’s authority to launch military action in Iran – live updates

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  • Democratic resolution to limit Trump’s power will likely not become law
  • Pelosi says Trump comments on Stone case are ‘abuse of power’
  • Hope Hicks reportedly returning to the White House
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A judge has temporarily blocked Microsoft’s cloud-computing work with the Pentagon after Amazon complained that it lost the contract partly because of Trump’s bias against the company.

Trump has repeatedly lashed out against Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and owner of the Washington Post.

A judge ordered Thursday a temporary block on the JEDI cloud contract, which was awarded to Microsoft, in response to a suit filed by Amazon. Shares of Microsoft fell on the news, while Amazon’s stock rose slightly.
A court notice announcing the injunction was filed on Thursday, but wasn’t public. It’s unclear why the documents were sealed.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is instructed to earmark $42 million for any ‘costs and damages’ that could be incurred in the event that the ‘injunction was issued wrongfully,’ the filing states. Amazon must file a notice with the courts indicating it has obtained the $42 million by Feb. 20. Microsoft and Amazon must respond to the filing by Feb. 27.

The eight Republicans who supported the Iran War Powers resolution in the Senate were: Todd Young, Mike Lee, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Rand Paul, Bill Cassidy, Jerry Moran and Lamar Alexander.

The resolution, aimed at limiting Trump’s authority to launch military operations in Iran, was expected to attract some Republican support, but the number of defections was surprising.

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Extreme alarm as prosecutors resign after Trump intervention in Stone case – live

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  • Ex-DoJ officials and watchdogs warn of ‘five-alarm fire in our democracy’
  • Trump congratulates Barr for ‘taking charge’ in case
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Trump: congratulations William Barr on following the order I tweeted to 72m people.

Congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought. Evidence now clearly shows that the Mueller Scam was improperly brought & tainted. Even Bob Mueller lied to Congress!

GOP Sen. John Kennedy said Trump’s tweets about Stone were “problematic” but he also told us he’s seen “no evidence” that Trump improperly interfered and thought it was simply lack of coordination on sentencing. He wouldn’t comment directly when I asked if Barr should testify

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday asked the inspector general of the justice department to investigate the Stone sentencing recommendation reversal.

This morning on the Senate floor, Schumer called on the chair of the judiciary committee, Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, to convene hearings on the matter. Graham, a staunch ally of the president who has lately been focused on the need to investigate Hunter Biden’s conduct in Ukraine, is not likely to do that.

The president ran against the swamp in Washington, a place that is rigged by the powerful to benefit them personally. I ask my fellow Americans, what is more swampy, what is more fetid, what is more stinking than the most powerful person in the country literally changing the rules to benefit a crony guilty of breaking the law?”

NEW: Chuck Schumer calls on Lindsey Graham "to convene an emergency hearing...to conduct oversight and hold hearings" following DOJ reversal on Stone sentencing recommendation.

"That's the the job of the Judiciary Committee, no matter who's president." https://t.co/xDonmgJTd0 pic.twitter.com/Bwx57FoFez

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‘It’s a disgrace’: Trump unhappy with Roger Stone prosecution – video

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Donald Trump has expressed disapproval at the sentencing recommendation for his longtime associate Roger Stone. Four lawyers who prosecuted the political operative quit in protest after their recommendation was overruled by the justice department. The president denied speaking to the justice department about the case but said he would have 'the absolute right' to have done so. Stone, 67, was found guilty last November of seven crimes including obstruction of justice, lying to Congress and witness tampering

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Roger Stone: prosecutors quit after DoJ signals plan to reduce sentence

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  • Department appears to lean on prosecutors for shorter term
  • Trump tweeted: ‘Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!’

Four lawyers who prosecuted political operative Roger Stone have resigned in protest after their sentencing recommendation was overruled and slashed by Donald Trump’s justice department.

Aaron Zelinsky, Jonathan Kravis, Adam Jed and Michael Marando quit the case while Democrats demanded an independent investigation into what they described as a dangerously politicised and corrupt justice department.

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Melania Trump suspects Roger Stone behind nude photo leak, new book claims

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In Free, Melania, obtained by the Guardian, Kate Bennett also reports that president and first lady sleep in separate rooms

Melania Trump suspects Roger Stone, a longtime ally and adviser to Donald Trump, of being behind the release of nude photos from her modelling past, a new book claims.

Related: Trump's 'demeaning fake orgasm' made me speak out – ex-FBI lawyer Lisa Page

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Roger Stone: Trump adviser found guilty on all counts in WikiLeaks hacking case

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Stone found guilty of obstruction of justice and making false statements over what he told Congress relating to emails hacked from Democrats

Roger Stone, a self-described “dirty trickster” and longtime adviser to Donald Trump, was found guilty on Friday of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The verdict makes Stone only the latest among a growing list of people once in the president’s inner circle who have been convicted on federal charges. News of Stone’s convictions came as dramatic testimony at the public impeachment hearing unfolded on Capitol Hill.

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Trump impeachment inquiry: parties divided as more hearings loom – live

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Democrats say Bill Taylor and George Kent’s testimonies tied Trump to efforts to pressure Ukraine while Republicans say they proved nothing

Trump promised after the August mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton that his administration would propose policies to curb gun violence.

However, the president has yet to release any gun-control proposals, and he has reportedly abandoned the plan in recent weeks.

Trump has been counseled by political advisers, including campaign manager Brad Parscale and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, that gun legislation could splinter his political coalition, which he needs to stick together for his reelection bid, particularly amid an impeachment battle.

The president no longer asks about the issue, and aides from the Domestic Policy Council, once working on a plan with eight to 12 tenets, have moved on to other topics, according to aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private deliberations.

A nearby hospital said it had received two patients in critical condition from the shooting at a high school near Los Angeles, with three more victims en route.

#SaugusHighShooting: We have received 2 patients in critical condition, 3 en route. We will provide updates as they become available.

Santa Clarita is in California’s 25th congressional district, which currently does not have a member in Congress following Katie Hill’s resignation. https://t.co/LpJiHG84Z6

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Steve Bannon will be surprise witness at Roger Stone trial

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Stone is accused of lying to House intelligence committee about Trump campaign’s efforts to obtain emails hacked by Russia

Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, will be a star witness at the trial in Washington of Roger Stone, a longtime political operative and ally of Donald Trump, a court heard on Wednesday.

The surprise announcement was made during opening statements on Wednesday by prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky, who told the court that Stone had “straight-up lied” to the US Congress about aspects of the 2016 election campaign “because the truth looked bad for Donald Trump”.

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Trump impeachment inquiry: Sondland revises testimony and admits Ukraine quid pro quo – live

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EU envoy acknowledges in updated testimony he told Ukraine it would likely not receive aid unless it announced investigations into Trump’s rivals

Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell appears to have bulldozed directly through protocol by forecasting, before the articles of impeachment have even been drafted in the House and Trump put on trial in the Senate, that the president will be acquitted.

“If it were today, I don’t think there’s any question — it would not lead to a removal,” @SenateMajLdr McConnell says of a potential impeachment trial in the Senate.

/2 McConnell: “I’m pretty sure I know how it’s going to end.” Says Trump will be acquitted by Senate like Clinton & Andrew Johnson

Sondland was asked, with respect to the “demands” made by Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani to investigate the 2016 election and Burisma, if “those conditions would have to be complied with prior to getting a meeting.”

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Trump ally Roger Stone in court over Instagram post targeting judge – live

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Longtime Trump confidante is back in court over photo that showed the judge with what appeared to be crosshairs near her head

Judge Amy Berman Jackson, presiding over the Roger Stone hearing, has taken a break before ruling on Stone’s fate.

David Smith is reporting that Stone claimed one of his “many” volunteers who operate out of his house could have posted the photo. Stone was unable to identify which volunteer posted it, however.

Kravis: The defendant continued to give interviews to amplify the coverage. "That conduct amounts to... a desire to manipulate media coverage to gain favourable attention." That increased the "risk to the jury pool".

Jackson to Rogow: "After he apologised, he continued talking every single day. What will get him to stop talking other than a court order... How would you craft a court order that he will find clear enough to follow?"

Guardian reporter David Smith is tweeting from inside the DC court where Roger Stone is appearing.

Stone has told the court that he is “heartfully sorry” and admitted abusing the court order that originally allowed him out on bail.

Stone: I believe there was "a media distortion" of my intent. "I did not have a malicious intent, your honour... I'm not seeking to justify it. It was just an error."

Stone: "I felt the media was falsely saying that I was posing a danger, which was not my intention. This was not a crosshair, in my opinion, and I did not wish to be blamed for something that was not my intention."

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Roger Stone ordered to appear in court over Instagram post targeting judge

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Stone has formally apologized for the post, which showed the judge with what appeared to be crosshairs near her head

Donald Trump’s longtime confidant Roger Stone was ordered to appear in court Thursday after a post he made on Instagram targeting the judge in his case.

Related: Democrats investigate 'White House plan' to share nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia – live

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Roger Stone case: judge ‘considering gag order’ against Trump adviser – as it happened

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Judge cautioned Stone against treating trial build-up ‘like book tour’ and said he should not argue his case ‘on the talkshow circuit’

Thanks for tuning in, everyone.

With the government shutdown over, President Trump can finally return to Mar-a-Lago, the Associated Press is reporting.

Trump typically spends many winter weekends at the Palm Beach estate, golfing at another nearby private club he owns and dining on an outdoor terrace at Mar-a-Lago, where he catches up with friends and club members.

But that routine was interrupted by the partial government shutdown, which ended a week ago after a record 35 days.

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Mueller will use Roger Stone’s bank records, texts and emails as evidence

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Legal analysts say sizable amount of potential evidence seems to go well beyond the current known charges against Stone

Special counsel Robert Mueller has signaled to defense lawyers for Roger Stone, the longtime adviser to Donald Trump, that prosecutors might brandish Stone’s bank records and personal communications going back several years as evidence in the case against him.

Legal analysts said the move could be significant because the sizable amount of potential evidence listed by Mueller – and its nature, in the case of the bank records – seemed to go well beyond the current known charges against Stone.

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State of the Union: Stacey Abrams to deliver Democrats’ response – live

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George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign aide who served a brief prison stint for lying to FBI agents in the Russia investigation, has a new job at a medical marijuana company.

Papadopoulos joins a medical marijuana startup https://t.co/oIAw6Jzcqs

Coffee magnate Howard Schultz will take his time to decide to pursue a third party presidential bid. The former Starbucks CEO has become a lightning rod on the left in recent days with his public musing about running as an independent.

New: @HowardSchultz may not decide on a presidential run until "summer or fall," his political adviser Bill Burton tells me.https://t.co/0nYekuZNUD

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