FSFP Board Chair Ben Clements recently appeared on WGBH to discuss the current state of democracy and the Department of Justice intervention in Roger Stone’s sentencing.

Stone, a former aide to Donald Trump, was convicted last year for lying to Congress and witness tampering, among other crimes. This week prosecutors recommended a seven to nine year prison sentence for Stone, which was quickly overruled by the Justice Department following an indignant condemnation from the President via Twitter.

Clements, a former federal prosecutor and current defense attorney, weighed in on the severity of the Justice Department’s intervention in the sentencing recommendation.

“I have never ever seen or heard of line prosecutors submitting a sentencing memorandum only to have it vetoed and overruled by a later submission directed apparently by the Attorney General of the United States – apparently at the behest of the President, who had an interest in protecting his crony who had lied for him, which gave rise to the prosecution in the first place,” said Clements.

Watch the full discussion here