AMY BERMAN JACKSON

Russell James Peterson called for "war" and his mom bragged about his antics on Facebook after they traveled to D.C. on Jan. 6.

A federal judge sentencing a Michigan man Wednesday over his role in the U.S. Capitol riot dismissed any notion that he's a political prisoner.Driving the news: Judge Amy Berman Jackson said that she wasn't sentencing Karl Dresch, of Calumet, "because he is a supporter" of former President Trump, noting that "millions of people" had voted for him "and did not heed his call to descend on the nation's Capitol," per the Detroit News.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with

A Michigan man who called Jan. 6 the “best day ever” is being released from jail after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge in the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

A federal judge on Wednesday assailed the false claims of election fraud pushed by former President Donald Trump and his supporters as she sentenced a member of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to time served, saying the Michigan man “placed his trust in someone who repaid that trust by lying to him.” U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Karl Dresch, a Calumet resident in the Upper Peninsula, that he was an “enthusiastic participant” in an effort to subvert the will of the voters. Dresch, who has been locked up since his arrest in January, is being released from jail since he already served the six-month maximum sentence for the misdemeanor offense.

The Department of Justice is seeking to keep secret part of a memo to Attorney General William Barr on whether President Donald Trump should be prosecuted.

Federal judges say the former president “continues to propagate the lie that inspired the attack on a near daily basis.”

Bellevue Mayor Ned Burns said Nate Silvester was fired for violating policies, not for his "tone or the tenor of his speech that he posts online."

Falsehoods about the election helped bring insurrectionists to the Capitol on Jan. 6, and now some who are facing criminal charges for their actions during the riot hope their gullibility might save them in court or at least produce some sympathy.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered the Justice Department earlier this month to release the March 2019 memo from the Office of Legal Counsel.

The memo that recommended Donald Trump not be charged with obstructing Robert Mueller's Russia investigation was ordered to be released.

The Justice Department's response is an early test of how it will handle questionable activity by previous leaders in the department — and former President Donald Trump.

The Department of Justice moved late Monday to partially appeal a court order to release a memo then-Attorney General Bill Barr cited to justify clearing former President Trump for obstruction of justice in the Russia investigation.Why it matters: The DOJ's court filing just before the midnight deadline goes against a request from Senate Democrats, who urged Attorney General Merrick Garland in a letter not to appeal Judge Amy Berman Jackson's order earlier this month.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free"These misrepresentations preceded your confirmation as Attorney General, but the Department you now lead bears responsibility for redressing them," they stated.The judge in her order called Barr's public characterization of former special counsel Robert Mueller investigation finding "disingenuous" and said the department hadn't been clear about what purpose the memo would serve.Details: The DOJ has handed over other documents to the watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington in the lawsuit, just not the 2019 Office of Legal Counsel memo, citing in the filing "internal deliberations."More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

The Biden administration says it will appeal a judge’s order directing it to release a legal memo on whether President Donald Trump had obstructed justice during the Russia investigation.

A grand jury in New York charged Kolfage and Steve Bannon in 2020 with defrauding people who invested $25 million in the "We Build the Wall," scheme.

Wildlife officials revealed the likely reason behind the bear’s behavior.

The Federal Election Commission in a rare unanimous vote has urged Congress to ban a campaign donation tactic reportedly used by former President Donald Trump's team last year. The FEC on Thursday unanimously voted to recommend Congress ban political campaigns from using prechecked boxes to steer supporters toward making recurring contributions by default, The New York Times reports. "It's important that donors be able to exercise their choices freely," FEC Democratic commissioner Ellen Weintraub told the Times."If their money is being taken from them because of some reverse checkoff option they didn't notice, then they are not giving their money freely. It's almost like theft. I don't want to see donors tricked." The Times previously reported that Trump's campaign in 2020 "deployed prechecked boxes to enroll every donor in weekly withdrawals — unless they unchecked the box," describing this as an "intentional scheme." The Trump operation also reportedly prechecked an additional box that doubled an individual's contribution unless it was unchecked, and they ended up having to refund over $122 million to supporters, according to the Times. This tactic has also been used by Democrats, including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, The Hill notes. The FEC said in its recommendation that "many contributors are unaware of the 'pre-checked' boxes and are surprised by the already completed transactions appearing on account statements." Adav Noti, who formerly served in the FEC's general counsel's office, told the Times that for the FEC's Republican and Democratic commissioners to come to a unanimous agreement on a "substantive campaign finance law" recommendation like this is "pretty rare." More stories from theweek.comHouse GOP leader Kevin McCarthy apparently pays $1,500 to live in a 12-bedroom, 16-bath penthouseThe Republican plot to steal the 2024 electionMitch McConnell, asked about the Liz Cheney purge, says '100 percent of my focus is on stopping' Biden

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) just signed the state's restrictive new voting bill into law, but local reporters who wanted to see him do so evidently had to tune into Fox News. The Florida governor signed the controversial new law on Thursday morning that implements new restrictions on drop boxes and requires voters to sign up for mail-in ballots more often, among other measures, Axios reports. But DeSantis received additional criticism after signing it not in front of a whole group of reporters from various outlets, but live on Fox & Friends as an exclusive to the network. "Local media outlets told CNN that they were not allowed to go inside the morning signing event and that it was a Fox News exclusive," CNN writes. This, according to The Washington Post, "came as a surprise to local journalists, who had arrived to cover the event." NEW: News media is barred from entry at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signing of controversial elections bill, SB 90. DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske says bill signing is a “Fox exclusive” pic.twitter.com/NAos6kmtQS — Steve Bousquet (@stevebousquet) May 6, 2021 DeSantis' decision to make this bill signing a Fox exclusive drew criticism from reporters, with CBS News' Kathryn Watson writing, "If I worked at Fox, I would refuse to cover the bill signing unless all my colleagues at other outlets could. It's the right thing to do." The New York Times' Maggie Haberman also wrote, "Can't say I've ever heard of an act like a bill signing being treated like a commodity to trade with Fox." The Society of Professional Journalists' Florida chapter also slammed the move, with its president saying, "Actions like this openly defy against a free press. We condemn DeSantis' office barring journalists from doing their job for the sake of good TV." A Fox News spokesperson in a statement said that Fox & Friends "did not request or mandate" that the governor's event or interview "be exclusive to Fox News Media entities." More stories from theweek.comHouse GOP leader Kevin McCarthy apparently pays $1,500 to live in a 12-bedroom, 16-bath penthouseMitch McConnell, asked about the Liz Cheney purge, says '100 percent of my focus is on stopping' BidenAmerica's nervous breakdown is right on schedule

Drew AngererWhat remains of Bill Barr’s sullied reputation was blown up when federal district Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the government must turn over the memorandum, which the public has yet to fully see and that the Justice Department relied upon in declining to prosecute the 45th president.Not only was Barr being personally “disingenuous” by announcing his decision before the Mueller report was released and pretending he used the report to reach a conclusion instead of simply announcing the one he’d come to before the special counsel’s work had even finished his work, she wrote, “but DOJ has been disingenuous to this Court.”“The fact that (Trump) would not be prosecuted was a given,” the judge wrote. In reality, it was a given from the moment Barr was appointed by Trump, as the past inevitably became prelude given his first stint as attorney general under George H.W. Bush. Back then, DOJ resisted efforts to get to the bottom of U.S. government-backed financing of Iraq in the run-up to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait.Mueller Report Has a Hidden Message for BarrPressed by House Democrats to appoint an independent counsel, Barr refused, while insisting it was “not a crime,” “simply not criminal in any way,” “nothing illegal.” What he meant was that oversight was for Democratic presidents only.In 2019, Barr stonewalled then Sen. Kamala Harris when she asked him whether Donald Trump or anyone at the White House had inquired or urged that he open an investigation into anyone. Think of Barr as an updated version of Roy Cohn, an earlier Trump lawyer. Both men attended Horace Mann, the swank private school in the Riverdale section of New York City, and Columbia University. As with Cohn, things are not ending well for Barr. For the record, Judge Jackson’s recent opinion was not written on a blank slate. Judge Reggie Walton, a George W. Bush appointee, had already blasted Barr’s allergy to the truth. In a March 2020 decision in a related case, the judge “seriously” questioned Barr’s integrity and credibility, and deployed words like “distorted” and “misleading” to make his point.He also observed that it appeared that Barr had “made a calculated attempt to influence public discourse about the Mueller Report in favor of President Trump despite certain findings in the redacted version of the Mueller Report to the contrary.”DOJ is not a public relations shop. Likewise, the department’s client is the U.S., not the occupant of the Oval Office. The imperial presidency is supposed to have limits.Barr’s reputation also stands to be tarnished by his efforts to put his thumb on the scale in connection with the sentencing of a since-pardoned Roger Stone and the Mike Flynn debacle. Like Stone, Flynn too received a Trump pardon. But along the way, Barr’s handling of Flynn’s case raised eyebrows from the bench.Specifically, Judge Emmet Sullivan hammered Barr while dismissing, at the DOJ’s request, its own case against Flynn after he had pleaded guilty. Sullivan observed, “In view of the government’s previous argument in this case that Mr. Flynn’s false statements were ‘absolutely material’ because his false statements ‘went to the heart’ of the FBI’s investigation, the government’s about-face, without explanation, raises concerns about the regularity of its decision-making process.”“Raises concerns”? Talk about understatement.By the end of Trump’s term, Flynn would call for the imposition of martial law. Meanwhile, Flynn’s brother, Charles Flynn, another general, was on duty during the insurrection. To top it all off, Flynn’s lawyer, Sidney Powell, would emerge as a grim punchline in attempting to “release the Kraken” to try and push through Trump’s Big Lie.As for the Flynn pardon, it happened on Barr’s watch, on November 25, 2020, more than two weeks before Barr quit. And here too, Barr’s past is relevant.After Bush 41 lost to Bill Clinton, Barr successfully pushed for pardons for Caspar Weinberger, Ronald Reagan’s defense secretary, and others in connection with the Iran-Contra scandal. “I favored the broadest pardon authority,” Barr explained. There were some people just arguing just for Weinberger. I said, ‘No–in for a penny, in for a pound.’”To his credit, Barr resisted Trump’s entreaties to find fraud with the election where none existed and, when he finally quit, the outgoing AG took a swipe at Trump and his efforts to undo the election results, and tried to suggest there was still some regularity to DOJ’s decision-making process by declaring that “it is incumbent on all levels of government, and all agencies acting within their purview, to do all we can to assure the integrity of elections and promote public confidence in their outcome.”Much too little, too late. Meanwhile, AG Merrick Garland has until May 17 to appeal Judge Jackson’s ruling. If he does not, the full memo that Barr used when he was the attorney general to justify the fix that was already in will immediately become public—and the fixer’s reputation will take one more hard hit as his successor begins the hard work of restoring integrity and public confidence in a battered Justice Department.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Dana McIntrye accused of claiming money for more staff than he actually ahd working for him

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, in a sharp rebuke of the former attorney general, said the Justice Dept. had obscured “the true purpose of the memorandum."

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said AG William Barr had obscured "the true purpose of the memorandum" when it withheld the document.

A federal judge has ordered the release of a legal memorandum the Trump-era Justice Department prepared for then-Attorney General William Barr before he announced his conclusion that President Donald Trump had not obstructed justice during the Russia investigation.

A federal judge has ordered the release of a legal memorandum the Trump-era Justice Department prepared for then-Attorney General William Barr before he announced his conclusion that President Donald Trump had not obstructed justice during the Russia investigation. The Justice Department had refused to give the March 24, 2019, memorandum to a government transparency group that requested it under the Freedom of Information Act, saying the document represented the private advice of lawyers and was produced before any formal decision had been made and was therefore exempt from disclosure under public records law. “In other words, the review of the document reveals that the Attorney General was not then engaged in making a decision about whether the President should be charged with obstruction of justice; the fact that he would not be prosecuted was a given,” Jackson said in an order dated Monday.

Additionally, Baker took the subcontract estimates provided to him and illegally inflated them in his requests to the GSA. Over the course of several subcontract modifications, Baker defrauded the GSA out of approximately $1.25 million. The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is the nation’s leading prosecuting authority on government procurement fraud and corruption matters. The GSA Office of Inspector General, FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the State Department Office of Inspector General are investigating this case. Trial Attorney Vasanth Sridharan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.

FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2019, file photo, Roger Stone arrives at federal court in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1554.

WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Monday demanded more information about President Donald Trump's decision to commute the prison sentence of longtime ally Roger Stone. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered that the parties provide her by Tuesday with a copy of the executive order that commuted Stone's sentence. She also asked for clarity about the scope of the clemency, including whether it covers just his prison sentence or also the two-year period of supervised release that was part of his sentence. Hours after the judge's directive, the Justice Department submitted to the court a two-page order making clear that the clemency extended to both Stone's prison sentence and his supervised release. The president told reporters on Monday that he was getting “rave reviews” for his action on Stone and restated his position that the Russia investigation “should have never taken place."

WASHINGTON – A federal judge is giving Roger Stone, a longtime ally and confidant of President Donald Trump, an additional two weeks before he must report to serve his federal prison sentence. Stone was scheduled to surrender at FCI Jesup, a medium-security federal prison in Georgia on June 30. The home confinement would be monitored by court officials before Stone is required to surrender at the prison on July 14. But officials said last month that Stone would be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine once he arrived at the facility. Stone was sentenced to serve more than three years in prison plus two years’ probation and a $20,000 fine.

WASHINGTON – Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, is appealing his three-year prison sentence following his conviction as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Stone’s lawyers filed the notice of appeal Thursday in federal court in Washington. They are appealing his prison sentence and a judge’s order denying Stone’s request for a new trial based on Stone's accusations of jury bias. He petitioned for a new trial and Stone’s lawyers have alleged misconduct after some jurors spoke out publicly following the case. Jackson said Stone's lawyers had not proved the forewoman was biased or that any jurors acted inappropriately.

WASHINGTON – A prosecutor on the Roger Stone trial team who abruptly resigned from the Justice Department because of a dispute over the recommended sentence has a new job. The job will require Kravis to work with the same office he quit in February. D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine said the nation's capital stands out as a jurisdiction that does not have a local prosecutor to reliably focus on local public corruption offenses. “The District of Columbia seeks to have a local prosecutor focused on local public corruption in the same way that every state in America does,” Racine said in the interview. “I’m not really in a position where I can comment on my departure from the U.S. attorney’s office,” Kravis said.

Roger Stone, second from right, departs federal court in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. President Donald Trump loyalist and ally, Roger Stone was sentenced to over three years in federal prison, following an extraordinary move by Attorney General William Barr to back off his Justice Department's original sentencing recommendation. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Thursday denied a request for a new trial made by Trump ally Roger Stone following his conviction on charges related to the Russia investigation. Stone claimed the jury forewoman was biased and petitioned for a new trial; his first such request was denied. She sentenced Stone to more than three years in prison plus two years’ probation and a $20,000 fine.

Roger Stone arrives for his sentencing at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Washington, DC on February, 20, 2020. A federal judge on Thursday denied a request for a new trial by President Donald Trump friend Roger Stone, who was convicted last fall of lying to Congress and witness tampering, flatly rejecting his claim of juror misconduct. Stone, 67, had sought a new trial based on his allegation that the jury forewoman lied on a questionnaire as the panel was being selected. The president has repeatedly criticized the prosecution of Stone, who was charged in the case by then-special counsel Robert Mueller. "At the time of the trial, though, the defense made a strategic choice not to look for social media information.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday signaled skepticism toward a bid by Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to President Donald Trump, to win a new trial based on claims that the jury forewoman was biased, even as Trump assailed her again on Twitter. Most of her posts cited by Stones lawyers were not about the Stone case but related to Trump policies or Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Having an opinion about the president and some or even all of his policies does not mean that she couldnt fairly or impartially judge the evidence against Roger Stone, Jackson interjected at one point. You dont have any facts she was reading things she wasnt supposed to read during the trial? Jackson asked Ginsberg at one point, to which Ginsberg conceded he lacked any such direct evidence. The charges against Stone stemmed from Muellers investigation that detailed Russian meddling in the 2016 election to boost Trumps candidacy.

The remarks critical of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, New Yorkers like Trump, came during a news conference in India, where Trump was wrapping up a 36-hour visit full of praise and pageantry. Justices decide for themselves when to step aside from cases the court is considering, and it is highly unlikely either justice would sit out cases involving Trump, including two cases the court will hear on Mar. In 2018, Trump lambasted an “Obama judge” who had ruled against a Trump asylum policy. "We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. He added, “The independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for.”Trump, needing the last word, defended his own comment, tweeting defiantly, “Sorry Justice Roberts.”

Stone's lawyers are arguing that Hart's alleged "misconduct" tainted the trial of the Republican operative. Stone's lawyers argued that Hart lied on her jury questionnaire when she said she was unsure if she had ever posted anything on social media about Stone. One of Stone's lawyers asked her about a tweet she wrote before Stone's arrest referring to the rapper Chuck D of the hip-hop group Public Enemy. Even as the hearing got underway, Trump again tweeted about Hart, writing, "There has rarely been a juror so tainted as" her. Ginsburg pointed to posts by Hart that shared critical stories about Trump and Stone, which he argued "imply a bias" against Stone.

Former advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, Roger Stone, arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse, on February 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. The judge handling Roger Stone's criminal case flatly refused on Monday his request that she withdraw from the case, and scheduled a hearing for Tuesday on his motion for a new trial. In her order, Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington would be closed to the public, but she also scheduled a hearing for 1:30 p.m. Jackson sentenced President Donald Trump's longtime friend last week to 40 months in prison for lying to Congress and witness tampering. The sentence was suspended pending Jackson's ruling on Stone's request for a new trial.

REUTERS/Mary F. CalvertWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Sunday denied a request by Roger Stones lawyers that she be removed from the case in which she last week sentenced the long-time adviser to President Donald Trump to three years and four months in prison. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson had been accused of bias by Stones attorneys in a filing on Friday that called for her recusal. Stone, 67, was convicted on Nov. 15 of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. In a court filing on Sunday, Jackson rejected his lawyers arguments and defended her impartiality. Trump has also complained about the judge in posts on Twitter.

The 67-year-old Stone, who has been a friend and adviser to Trump for decades, was convicted on Nov. 15 on all seven counts of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. He was prosecuted for covering up for the president, Jackson said. Stone, who still has a sealed pending motion requesting a new trial, declined to speak at his sentencing hearing. The judge noted that Stone was not charged with or convicted of having any role in conspiring with Russia. Trump, emboldened after his Senate acquittal in his impeachment trial, has attacked the prosecutors, jurors and judge in the case.

Stone, who still has a sealed pending motion requesting a new trial, declined to speak at his sentencing hearing. A jury of nine women and three men convicted Stone, 67, on Nov. 15 on all seven counts of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Trump, emboldened after his Senate acquittal in his impeachment trial, has attacked the prosecutors, jurors and judge in the case. Congressional Democrats have accused Trump and Barr of politicizing the U.S. criminal justice system and threatening the rule of law. He violated her orders not to talk about the case or post on social media, and the judge accused him of middle school behavior.

Stone, who still has a sealed pending motion requesting a new trial, declined to speak at his sentencing hearing. A jury of nine women and three men convicted Stone, 67, on Nov. 15 on all seven counts of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Trump, emboldened after his Senate acquittal in his impeachment trial, has attacked the prosecutors, jurors and judge in the case. Congressional Democrats have accused Trump and Barr of politicizing the U.S. criminal justice system and threatening the rule of law. He violated her orders not to talk about the case or post on social media, and the judge accused him of middle school behavior.

Special Report: Roger Stone sentence announced LIVE: Roger Stone, long-time ally of President Trump, is set to be sentenced on convictions of lying to Congress and witness tampering https://10.wsls.com/3bTrQrM Posted by WSLS 10 / WSLS.com on Thursday, February 20, 2020WASHINGTON, D.C. – Roger Stone, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison on his convictions for witness tampering and lying to Congress. Thursday’s action in federal court comes amid Trump’s unrelenting defense of his longtime confidant that has led to a mini-revolt inside the Justice Department and allegations the president has interfered in the case. Trump has denounced as a “miscarriage of justice” the initial recommendation by Justice Department prosecutors that Stone receive at least seven years in prison. Attorney General William Barr then backed off that recommendation, prompting four prosecutors to quit Stone’s case. Stone chose not to address the court at his sentencing.

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2019 file photo, former campaign adviser for President Donald Trump, Roger Stone, leaves federal court in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON, D.C. – Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, was sentenced to more than three years in prison Thursday for obstructing a congressional investigation in a case that has sparked fears about presidential interference in the justice system. This was not Roger being Roger. As he left the Washington, D.C., courthouse and got into a black SUV without speaking to reporters, crowds of protesters engaged in dueling chants of “Pardon Roger Stone!” and “Lock him up!”His attorney Bruce Rogow said Stone and his team would have no comment. During the 2016 campaign, Stone mentioned in interviews and public appearances that he was in contact with founder Julian Assange through a trusted intermediary and hinted at inside knowledge of WikiLeaks’ plans.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trumps long-time adviser Roger Stone is set to be sentenced on Thursday after being convicted on charges including lying to a congressional panel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election in a case that has roiled the Justice Department and drawn Trumps ire. FILE PHOTO: Roger Stone, former campaign adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, arrives for the continuation of his criminal trial on charges of lying to Congress, obstructing justice and witness tampering at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2019. Stone was one of several Trump associates charged in Muellers inquiry. Trump, emboldened after his Senate acquittal in his impeachment trial, has attacked the prosecutors, jurors and judge in the case. Congressional Democrats have accused Trump and Barr of politicizing the U.S. criminal justice system and threatening the rule of law.

Former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone departs following his sentencing hearing at U.S. District Court in Washington, February 20, 2020. The judge also called Trump's tweets about Stone "inappropriate," but also said she would not hold them against Stone. Prosecutors said at Stone's trial that he kept Trump's camp aware of what he had learned about WikiLeaks' plans for releasing the emails. But Stone had told the House committee he had no such conversations with the Trump campaign about WikiLeaks. That work occurred before his tenure on the Trump campaign.

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2019 file photo, Roger Stone arrives at Federal Court for the second day of jury selection for his federal trial, in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal judge on Tuesday refused to delay sentencing for Roger Stone on his witness tampering and lying to Congress conviction as President Donald Trump kept up his unrelenting defense of his longtime confidant and said he wouldn’t be quieted on social media even if he's making things harder for his attorney general. Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s decision to sentence Stone on Thursday, as scheduled, sets up a crossroads moment in an extraordinary case marked by a mini-revolt inside the Justice Department and allegations that Trump has interfered in the case. She said delaying sentencing “would not be a prudent thing to do.”Stone's defense team has requested a new trial and had asked Jackson to delay sentencing until she rules on that motion. The judge indicated she would delay the execution of Stone's sentence, pending resolution of the motion for a new trial.

Roger Stone, former adviser to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, arrives to federal court in Washington, D.C., Feb. 21, 2019. Judge Amy Berman Jackson said during a conference call with Stone's lawyers and prosecutors that she thought "delaying the sentence would not be a prudent thing." Stone's lawyers last week filed a motion seeking a new trial on the heels of disclosures that the jury forewoman in Stone's trial had a history of anti-Trump social media posts. Those defense lawyers told Jackson during the conference call that she should rule on their motion for a new trial before Stone is sentence. Prosecutors objected to the delay and also are opposing Stone's request for a new trial.

A federal judge on Tuesday refused to delay sentencing for Trump confidant Roger Stone on his conviction for witness tampering and lying to Congress. plans to host an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the intervention of the Department of Justice and President Trump in the Stone sentencing, according to USA Today. I am not concerned with how a particular judge will rule, said Rufe, who was appointed by George W. Bush in 2002. We are supportive of any federal judge who does what is required.Jackson has found herself the subject of the presidents ire. AdvertisementOn Sunday, more than 2,000 former Justice Department officials submitted a letter calling on Barr to resign for ignoring the long-standing practice of not allowing political influence in legal decisions.

FILE PHOTO: Roger Stone, former campaign adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, arrives for the continuation of his criminal trial on charges of lying to Congress, obstructing justice and witness tampering at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File PhotoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge has rejected a request by U.S. President Donald Trump ally Roger Stone for a new trial, according to a court filing released on Wednesday, a day after a Justice Department reversal over sentencing prompted prosecutors to resign from the case. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, in a Feb. 5 order, said the Republican operatives lawyers had not presented grounds for a new trial ... or any reason to believe there has been a serious miscarriage of justice.

A Washington, D.C. man was sentenced yesterday to 60 days incarceration, two years of supervised release, a $50,000 fine and 300 hours of community service for violating the Toxic Substances Control Act in the course of renovating a Washington, D.C., property without following lead-safe work practices and lead disclosure requirements. Judge Jackson sentenced District Properties LLC to a $150,000 fine and two years probation with special condition of funding 3 lead-paint awareness seminars for real estate developers and contractors. EPA and the Justice Department are working together to investigate and prosecute those who violate lead-safe work practices and lead disclosure requirements under TSCA. Lead is a toxic substance that can cause permanent damage, and is regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act. During the summer and fall of 2014, a contractor conducted demolition at the property without following RRP Rule safe work practices.

(CNN) - The trial of Roger Stone got off to an usual start Tuesday as jury selection proceedings were punctuated by his exit from the court due to what he said was food poisoning. The high-profile trial could bring out new details about what former special counsel Robert Mueller found regarding the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election. "Mr. Stone is not feeling well," defense attorney Robert Buschel told Judge Amy Berman Jackson at the bench shortly after the potential jurors were sworn in, according to transcripts of sidebar discussions with the judge. Later in the morning's proceedings, the judge noted that Stone was looking unwell. Prosecutors say Stone falsely denied to the House that he'd had discussions with the campaign and some others about trying to reach WikiLeaks.

They also asked the court to order the White House to keep all documents regarding policies, legal advice and investigations about record-keeping. She sought assurances from the Justice Department that any presidential records would be safe as the groups' lawsuit continues -- setting aside recent allegations that the White House mishandled transcripts of Trump's calls with foreign leaders. That assurance would eliminate the need for Jackson to get involved by considering a restraining order on the White House. But the Justice Department refused to say that the White House would preserve all records related to Trump's calls with foreign leaders, saying the administration's legal team hadn't gotten authorization from the White House to say so. The Justice Department, responding on behalf of the White House, wouldn't give them that assurance, saying it was "privileged legal advice."

Attorney Greg Craig (L) Arrives with Retired Gen. James Cartwright, (R), for a hearing at US District Court, October 17, 2016 in Washington, DC. A federal judge on Tuesday dropped one of the two criminal charges against President Barack Obama's White House counsel, Greg Craig, who is accused of lying about his work for Ukraine. Judge Amy Berman Jackson dismissed a count of making false and misleading statements to the Department of Justice's Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, unit. He was accused in Washington, D.C., District Court of making false statements to avoid registering as a foreign agent. He also faced a count of making false statements and leaving out important information in a 2013 letter he sent to the FARA unit about that work.

REUTERS/Joshua RobertsYour lawyer had to twist the facts, twist the plain meaning of the order and twist himself into a pretzel to argue that Stones social media posts did not violate her order, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Stone at a hearing. The judge told Stone she could revisit her decision if he violates her orders again. Stone has repeatedly raised Jacksons ire by making incendiary posts on Instagram and other social media platforms. Since the judges February order, Stone has tested the limits including some posts linking to articles about the case and asking rhetorical questions. Prosecutors in June filed a motion asking Jackson to further restrain Stone from making comments that could poison the jury pool.

REUTERS/Joshua RobertsYour lawyer had to twist the facts, twist the plain meaning of an order and twist himself into a pretzel to argue that Stones social media posts did not violate her order, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Stone. But the judge told Stone she could revisit her decision if he violates her orders again. Rogow told Jackson he did not think any of the posts violated the judges prior order, adding: I am sorry the court is offended.Mr. Stone has repeatedly raised Jacksons ire by making incendiary posts on Instagram and other social media platforms. Since then, however, Stone has repeatedly pushed the envelope, with some of his posts linking to articles about the case and asking rhetorical questions.

FILE PHOTO - Roger Stone, longtime political ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, waves as he arrives for a status hearing in the criminal case against him brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua RobertsWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday barred U.S. President Donald Trumps former adviser, Roger Stone, from making any posts on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram after prosecutors accused Stone of violating a gag order by discussing his case on social media. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she would not detain Stone for violating the order, saying jailing him would only generate more media attention.

Jackson said Stone referred to Schiff as a duplicitous con man before adding: if its Schiff, flush it. The judge then asked if the post was in contravention of her order. Stone tried to apologize, saying at that hearing that the posting was not intended as a threat. In June, prosecutors accused Stone of continually violating the order, and asked Jackson to revise the conditions of his release in order to avoid poisoning the jury pool. Although technically Jackson could opt to remand Stone into custody, prosecutors said on Tuesday that is not the remedy they are seeking. Rogow told Jackson he did not think any of the posts violated the judges prior order.

A federal judge on Tuesday banned Republican operative Roger Stone from posting anything at all on major social media platforms after ruling that the longtime confidant of President Donald Trump violated an already strict gag order in his criminal case. Jackson's finding that Stone violated his gag order "seems clear and correct," said Carl Tobias, a law professor and federal courts expert at the University of Richmond. "Despite numerous chances to mend his ways, Stone persists in misbehaving in many ways. The punishment seems appropriate to the misconduct in violating her earlier gag order." Jackson first imposed a partial gag order in February barring Stone from talking to the media about his case, to avoid prejudicing potential jurors.