Roger Stone's commutation is corrupt. Full stop.

It's worth remembering what he did, and why it was right and necessary to investigate the Trump campaign's attempts to cooperate and/or collude with Russians and Russian assets to gain an advantage in the 2016 election. /1

The following information comes from Roger Stone prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky's written testimony before Congress, dated June 24, 2020, and from U.S. intelligence assessments of Russian election interference in 2016. /2

First, Stone was deemed the Trump campaign's access point to Wikileaks, which possessed stolen Democratic information from Russian hacks: /3

According to U.S. intelligence assessments, Russian official hand-picked Wikileaks to serve as a conduit for public disclosure of hacked information. Julian Assange had a long relationship with Russian entities: /4

There is evidence that Trump was in contact with Roger Stone during Stone's outreach to Wikileaks and that Trump instructed Paul Manafort to "stay in touch with Stone." /5

In his written responses to the special counsel's office, Trump had some rather convenient memory lapses regarding his communications with Stone. /6

Stone then lied repeatedly to the (then) GOP-led House Permanent Select Committee Intelligence. One wonders if the remaining GOP members of the committee will express outrage at the commutation of a man who lied to their faces. The lies were brazen. /7

More lies. /8

Yes, still more lies: /9

And the lies had real consequences. Here's Judge Jackson's assessment, from the sentencing hearing: /10

Of course we can't forget his ham-handed attempts at witness intimidation. /11

All of this is sordid and corrupt, and a reminder that there was a desperate need to fully investigate the Trump campaign's conduct in 2016. Stone obstructed that investigation through his lies and attempts to intimidate witnesses. He's a criminal. He earned his punishment. /end