Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, along with all of the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, today wrote Chairman Lindsey Graham asking that the committee immediately initiate an investigation into political interference at the Justice Department, including this week’s reduction in the sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone.
“The Justice Department’s mission ‘to ensure fair and impartial justice for all Americans’ requires that its prosecutorial decisions remain free from political influence. It’s becoming clear that this is not happening,” the senators wrote. “That’s why the Judiciary Committee should investigate involvement of political appointees in this and other cases and hear directly from Attorney General Barr.”
Full text of the letter follows:
February 13, 2020
The Honorable Lindsey O. Graham
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
This is to request that the Judiciary Committee investigate the involvement of senior Justice Department political appointees in cases of personal or political interest to the President, including the sentencing recommendation of Roger Stone.
On Monday, career prosecutors recommended a sentence of seven to nine years for Roger Stone, who was convicted of obstructing Congress, witness tampering, and other crimes. The next day, President Trump criticized the sentencing recommendation in a series of tweets, and the Justice Department filed a new memorandum seeking a more lenient sentence.
The decision to overrule career prosecutors to favor one of the President’s associates is shocking and unprecedented. And it should surprise no one that all four prosecutors working on the case withdrew from further involvement. One career prosecutor even resigned from the Justice Department altogether. This is a red flag, as is recent reporting that Attorney General Barr has personally assumed control of all cases of personal or political interest to President Trump.
The Justice Department’s mission “to ensure fair and impartial justice for all Americans” requires that its prosecutorial decisions remain free from political influence. It’s becoming clear that this is not happening. That’s why the Judiciary Committee should investigate involvement of political appointees in this and other cases and hear directly from Attorney General Barr.
We appreciate your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Dianne Feinstein
Ranking Member
Patrick Leahy
United States Senator
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
Sheldon Whitehouse
United States Senator
Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator
Christopher A. Coons
United States Senator
Richard Blumenthal
United States Senator
Mazie K. Hirono
United States Senator
Cory A. Booker
United States Senator
Kamala D. Harris
United States Senator
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