“I have to convince myself that I can get a fair second trial,” added Stone. “Because I certainly didn’t have a fair first trial.”
Trump granted Stone leniency on Friday after the Republican strategist and self-styled “dirty cheater” was sentenced to more than three years in prison for trying to impede Congressional and FBI investigations. A jury found that Stone was convicted of the charges last year in a dramatic and highly publicized case as part of former special adviser Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2016 election.
Stone had tried to delay his prison sentence, maintaining that he was susceptible to complications from the coronavirus. But a federal appeals court closed her request on Friday, shortly before her commute. Stone was willing to turn himself in to a federal prison in Jesup, Georgia, just a few days later.
Trump did not spare Stone, which means his convictions still hold. Still, the president could issue a full pardon anytime he is president. rock saying ABC News in a recent interview that Trump expressed optimism that the convictions could be removed on appeal.
Attorney General William Barr said in an interview with ABC News last week that he found Stone’s sentence to be fair.
“I think the accusation was fair and I think the sentence that the judge finally gave was fair,” Barr said.
But Trump and his allies have claimed that Stone was unfairly tried by a manipulated court with people hostile to the president. Hannity also echoed that opinion, saying Stone was denied an impartial jury.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement Friday: “Roger Stone is a victim of the Russian hoax that the left and its media allies perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the presidency. Trump. There was never a collusion between the Trump Campaign, or the Trump Administration, with Russia. “
Speaking to Hannity, Stone echoed the sentiment, saying he was against a “stacked jury” and a “partial judge.” During his trial, Stone had several tête-à-têtes with Jackson. At one point, he posted a photo of her with crosshairs on his Instagram account in February 2019. Stone later apologized for the post and tried to minimize crosshairs as a Celtic symbol. Jackson and Stone’s interactions in courtroom sometimes heat up, with both sides showing frustration with the other.
Stone also chased federal prosecutors involved in his case on Monday, who he said made a cruel effort against him, realizing that the Mueller report would not prove the president’s criminal charges. (The report did not charge Trump with criminal activity, but did not exonerate him either.)
Stone called Andrew Weissmann, one of the top prosecutors on Mueller’s team, “the most ethically bankrupt prosecutor I have ever met,” accusing him of political bias in his investigation of the president. Stone also said that prosecutor Jeannie Rhee, of Korean descent, “has all the charm of a North Korean prison guard,” and filled her out for her donations to Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton.
Stone also used his airtime to thank conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, and the family of former national security adviser Mike Flynn for supporting him during his trial and speaking on his behalf.
He also thanked God and Trump for keeping him out of prison.
“He was literally hours away from being sent to a Covid infested prison,” Stone said.
Daniel Lippman contributed to this report.
