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President Trump has made a valiant effort to protect his financial documents, which the Supreme Court then told the president he isn’t above the law according to CNN. The majority of the grand jury denied Trump’s efforts to make the House of Representatives provide a “specific need” for the President’s financial/banking records.
The jury wants to remind the president that even his power has its limits. He didn’t agree with the consensus so he commuted the sentence of Roger Stone a “longtime ally”. Stone was convicted of seven felony counts by a jury for his Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
He was charged with obstruction of a congressional investigation, witness tampering as well as lying to Congress to name a few. These felonies we could him exactly three years and four months in prison. Until, our President decided to end his prison sentence before he could start, which gives him a chance to appeal as a free man.
Surprisingly the senators are from a widespread outrage against this. Although, Trump didn’t do this just set him free because he thought he should be pardoned of his crimes he also did this because they were once allies and with the president’s current situation about concealing his financial and banking records Roger Stone was in deep water to release information Trump wants to keep concealed.
The information he holds could have been used to possible lighten his sentence. The president knowing this decided to exchange Roger Stones 40 month sentence and felonies for him to keep quiet about the information he knows.
This doesn’t exemplify a traditional money form of bribery but it is very eminent that Roger Stone not talking is very important for Trump given his current situation. Although, he is the President bribery is a criminal offense that goes both ways for the receiver and the giver and as the jury has already stated the president isn’t ‘above the law’, this can be used as a basis for impeachment.
The justice department doesn’t believe in prosecuting a president while he is still in office, the president is “abusing public office for private gain” but the Senate did not do there of the job early on of making sure Trump knows this will not be tolerated. Roger Stone will be also be prosecuted if found guilty of bribery.
Senator Mitt Romney added his thoughts on this situation stating
“Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president.” President Trump will stop at nothing to protect his confidential files.
The Senate is closely investigating president trump and Roger’s stones allegation of bribery. Trump has been using his power as president on several different occasions to put himself ‘ above the law’.
Written by: Anay Amoah
Edited by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
CNN-“The people who sit by while Trump sets Roger Stone free”
The NYtimes-“ We can still get the truth from Roger Stone”
Washington Post– “How problematic is Trump’s Roger Stone Commutation”
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Victoria Pickering’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License