>>> WE ARE BACK. WE TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER AND
IT NEEDS TO BE SAID IN PLAIN
ENGLISH.
ENGLISH. THIS IS NOT A NIGHT TO PURSUE
JUST ONE STORY AND THAT IS THE
NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTE.
THIS IS ALSO NOT A NIGHT TO DO
WHAT IS SOMETIMES THE NORM.
STRAIGHT FACED REPORTING,
QUOTING THE PRESIDENT OUT OF THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. WE DIGRESS.
WE DIGRESS. WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW TONIGHT
THE STORY OF FOUR U.S.
PROSECUTORS WHO IN A HIGHLY
UNUSUAL MOVE WITH DREW FROM THE
GOVERNMENT’S CASE AGAINST LONG
TIME DONALD TRUMP ADVISER ROGER
STONE.
STONE. HIS FRIEND OF UPWARDS OF FOUR
DECADES.
DECADES. ONE OF THOSE PROSECUTORS HAS
QUIT HIS POST AT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT ENTIRELY.
DEPARTMENT ENTIRELY. THIS COMES AFTER THE PROSECUTORS
YESTERDAY RECOMMENDED A 7-9-YEAR
FEDERAL PRISON GUIDELINE
SENTENCE FOR ROGER STONE BASED
ON THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
GUIDELINES FOR THE FELONY
CHARGES MR. STONE HAS BEEN
CONVICTED OF IN FEDERAL COURT.
THEN CAME THIS.
THE LATE NIGHT TWEET SLAMMING
THE RECOMMENDATION AS A
MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE.
WELL, TODAY, SENIOR OFFICIALS AT
THE TRUMP JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
ANNOUNCED, THEY WOULD OVERRULE
THE PROSECUTORS’ SENTENCING
RECOMMENDATION.
RECOMMENDATION. APPARENTLY PROMPTING ALL THE
PROSECUTORS ON THE CASE TO
WITHDRAW.
WITHDRAW. NOW, A NEW FILING FROM A SENIOR
OFFICIAL IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C.
U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
SUGGESTING A SENTENCE FAR LESS
THAN 7-9 YEARS WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE FOR THIS PARTICULAR
FELON.
FELON. >> JOINING US NOW, OUR FRIEND
CHUCK ROSENBERG, FOUR SENIOR FBI
OFFICIAL.
OFFICIAL. CHUCK, WE ALWAYS LIKE TALKING TO
YOU.
YOU. I THINK TONIGHT WE NOTED TO HEAR
FROM YOU.
FROM YOU. FIRST OF ALL, ON THE
RESIGNATIONS OF FOUR PROSECUTORS
FROM THE CASE, AND ONE
PROSECUTOR FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
HOW RARE IS IT AND WHAT DOES IT
SUGGEST TO YOU?
>> I THINK CALLING IT HIGHLY
UNUSUAL IS UNDERSTATING IT.
IT SEEMS THERE’S BEEN AN INFEST
INFESTATION OF THE OFFICE.
THAT IS MOST DANGEROUS THING
THAT YOU CAN DO TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
WE WORK SO HARD TO KEEP POLITICS
OUT AND WE RELY ON SENIOR
LEADERSHIP TO DO THAT.
FOR THESE FOUR PROSECUTORS TO
STEP ASIDE BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT
HAS WEIGH IN THE AND THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS WEIGH IN
THE IN A HIGHLY IMPROPER AND
UNORTHODOX WAY, SAYS A TON ABOUT
THE OFFICE, ITS MORALE AND ITS
LACK OF LEADERSHIP RIGHT NOW.
>> CAN WE JUST UNFACT FACTS OF
THE STORY?
THE STORY? IT SEEMS THE MAIN DOJ HAD SIGNED
OFF ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND
THEN THERE WAS AN INTERVENING
EVENT, AS BRIAN LAID OUT.
OTHER THAN DONALD TRUMP’S TWEET,
WHICH TOOK PLACE IN PUBLIC,
BECAUSE THAT’S HOW TWEETS ARE,
WHAT ELSE HAS CHANGED?
CAN YOU UNPACK OR CONTEXTUALIZE
IT ANY BETTER?
>> IF YOU DON’T MIND, I’LL START
BACK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
WHEN A DEFENDANT IS CONVICTED IN
FEDERAL COURT, THE PROBATION
OFFICER PREPARES A PRE SENTENCE
REPORT AND THAT INCLUDES A
GUIDELINES CALCULATION.
GUIDELINES CALCULATION. ALL FEDERAL SENTENCING IS NOT
DICTATED BY BUT INFORPD WILL BY
THE U.S. SENTENCING GUIDELINES.
THAT ESTABLISHES A RANGE, AN
ADVISORY RANGE FOR THE FEDERAL
JUDGE TO SENTENCE MR. STONE
BASED ON HIS CONDUCT.
HIS CRIMINAL HISTORY, BASED ON
THE THINGS HE DID.
IN THIS CASE, AND THIS IS
UTTERLY ROUTINE.
UTTERLY ROUTINE. THE SENTENCING GUIDELINES IN
THIS CASE CALLED FOR A SENTENCE
OF ABOUT SEVEN TO NINE YEARS.
WHAT THE PROSECUTORS DID VERY
SIMPLY WAS TELL COURT IN A MEMO
THAT THEY HAD FILED YESTERDAY,
WE THINK THAT’S APPROPRIATE.
WE THINK THE GUIDELINES ARE
PROPERLY CALCULATED.
PROPERLY CALCULATED. WE THINK SEVEN TO NINE YEARS IS
RIGHT.
RIGHT. OF COURSE, JUDGES ALWAYS HAVE
THE DISCRETION TO SENTENCE ABOVE
OR BELOW.
OR BELOW. THEY’RE THE ULTIMATE DECIDER.
THE PROSECUTOR SAID THE
GUIDELINES ARE RIGHT AND WE
THINK THE SENTENCE IS RIGHT.
SO THERE IS NOTHING UNUSUAL
THERE.
THERE. WHAT WAS SO UNUSUAL WAS FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AFTER THE
LINE, L-I-N-E, LINE CAREER
PROSECUTORS FILED THAT, TO STEP
IN AND SAY, NO, WE THINK IT
SHOULD BE MUCH LESS.
IT SEEMS TO BE TIED TO THE KEEN
INTEREST OF ROGER STONE.
WHETHER THEY DID IT IN RESPONSE
TO THE PRESIDENT’S TWEET OR
DESPITE IT, THE LINKAGE HAS BEEN
MADE IN THE MIND’S EYE OF THE
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. IT IS SO DAMAGING HERE.
THE PROSECUTORS MAKING
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADVOCATING
FOR SENTENCING BUT RATHER THE
POLITICAL APPARATUS OF THE
UNITED STATES WEIGHING IN.
IT HAS CHANGED.
THE CASES OF THE ATTORNEY’S
OFFICE INCLUDE THE PRESIDENT’S
TWO BESTIES.
TWO BESTIES. MICHAEL FLYNN AND ROGER STONE.
>> YEAH, BARR STEPPED IN AND IS
TRYING TO FIX THIS TO THE
PRESIDENT’S LIKING.
PRESIDENT’S LIKING. THESE ARE PROFESSIONAL CIVIL
SERVANTS WHO TAKE THEIR JOBS
VERY SERIOUSLY.
VERY SERIOUSLY. AND OUR COUNTRY, ONE OF THE
REASONS WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IS
UNLIKE MANY OTHER NATIONS WE’VE
HAD THIS BRIGHT LINE BETWEEN
RULE OF LAW AND POLITICS.
OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM HASN’T ALWAYS
BEEN FAIR TO EVERYONE.
WE CAN ALL TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT THERE WAS A REALLY BIG WALL
BETWEEN THE POLITICS OF AMERICA
AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW
IN AMERICA WITH SOME NOTABLE
EXEMPTIONS OF CORRUPTION.
BUT THIS IS CORRUPTION RIGHT OUT
IN THE OPEN.
THIS IS THE PRESIDENT SAYING I’M
GOING TO STEP IN FOR MY FRIEND.
AND KEEP IN MIND, ROGER STONE
HAD A TRIAL.
IF YOU PLEA DEAL, YOU MAYBE
COOPERATE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT
CAN BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
IF YOU PUT YOURSELF IN A COURT
AND SAY PROVE I’M WRONG AND THE
COURT PROVES THAT YOU’VE
COMMITTED A FELONY, AND YOU’RE
CONVICTED IN A TRIAL, THEN
GUIDELINES SHOULD CONTROL.
AND BY THE WAY, WHAT WILL BE
REALLY INTERESTING HERE, AND
CHUCK CAN CERTAINLY WEIGH IN ON
THIS, IF THE JUDGE PAYS ANY
ATTENTION TO WHAT THE
PROSECUTORS HAVE SAID HERE.
DOES THE JUDGE IN FACT IMFOES
SENTENCE IF THE GUIDELINES WOULD
DICTATE?
DICTATE? OR DOES HE FALL UNDER THE SPELL
OF THE PRESIDENT’S LATE NIGHT
TWEET WHERE HE WANTS TO TAKE
CARE OF HIS BUDDY?