The Justice Department Inspector General is looking into the process that led to DoJ lawyers submitting a lighter sentence recommendation than was originally recommended and whether the sentence was reduced due to unethical political considerations, NBC News is reporting.
DoJ prosecutors originally recommended a lengthy prison sentence for Stone, who had been convicted of multiple counts of obstructing justice, including one of witness intimidation. Prosecutors had originally recommended a 7-9 year prison term for Stone.
Attorney General William Barr then allegedly stepped in and ordered that the sentencing recommendation be lowered to 3-4 years. Barr said he gave that instruction given Stone’s age and health, although Stone is not known to suffer from any debilitating health issues.
One of Stone’s prosecution team, Aaron Zelinsky, told Congress in June that pressure to reduce the recommended sentence came from the chain of command within the Justice Department, presumably because Stone was a friend of President Trump’s.
Trump ended up commuting Stone’s sentence July 13th, days before Stone was scheduled to report to jail.