DOJ review blames Stone sentencing flip on poor leadership, not politics

The U.S. Department of Justice’s review of the sentencing recommendation for Trump ally Roger Stone has blamed “poor leadership” rather than political interference for the sudden change in the sentencing recommendation. The review found that the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s office failed to effectively communicate the nature of its sentencing recommendation to the Department of Justice prior to submitting its court filing. This lack of communication contributed to the decision to revise the original 7-to-9-year prison term recommendation down to a more lenient sentence. The review concluded that Justice Department leaders were surprised by the severity of the initial recommendation and believed prosecutors were not following department policy. This has been seen as a significant mishandling rather than a politically motivated decision.