Hillary Clinton warned that democracy is “in crisis” after four prosecutors abruptly withdrew from the Roger Stone case.
The Justice Department officials withdrew from the former Trump adviser’s case after senior leaders at the department overruled a lengthy prison sentence for the Republican operative. Three of the officials left after President Trump criticized the original sentencing recommendation of up to nine years in prison.
“The rule of law & our democracy are in crisis,” Clinton tweeted Tuesday.
On the same day:
– Two prosecutors have resigned from the DOJ to protest the administration’s intervention to lighten the sentence of one of Trump’s accomplices
– The Senate GOP blocked votes on three bills to secure our electionsThe rule of law & our democracy are in crisis.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 11, 2020
Trump denied playing any role in the Justice Department’s decision to lower the sentencing recommendation for Stone, who was found guilty of witness tampering and lying to Congress.
“I would be able to do it if I wanted. I have the absolute right to do it. I stay out of things to a degree that people wouldn’t believe, but I didn’t speak to them,” Trump said. “I thought the recommendation was ridiculous. I thought the whole prosecution was ridiculous.”
In her tweet, Clinton also referred to Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee opposing three election security bills backed by Democrats.
Clinton has repeatedly declared that democracy is in crisis since Trump took office. In 2018, the former secretary of state said Trump was waging an “assault on our democracy.” A year later, Clinton accused Republicans of employing tactics aimed at keeping women and minorities from the polls.
“This is one of those moments [where] we stand at a crossroads of our own, a crisis in democracy,” Clinton said.
