Roger Stone sentenced to 40 months in prison

Roger Stone, Trump crony and infamous political trickster, was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment today for lying to Congress. Though less than the 8 years requested by prosecutors -- a request that precipitated ostentatious interference by Trump and the resulting resignation of several lawyers -- it's a significant custodial sentence enhanced by Stone's attempts to intimidate the judge.

The penalty from U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson comes after weeks of infighting over the politically charged case that threw the Justice Department into crisis, and it is likely not to be the final word. Even before the sentencing hearing began, Trump seemed to suggest on Twitter he might pardon Stone. With the proceedings ongoing, Trump questioned if his ally was being treated fairly.

In a lengthy speech before imposing the penalty, Jackson seemed to take aim at Trump saying Stone was not prosecuted for standing up for the president; he was prosecuted for covering up for the president. She also appeared to call out Attorney General William P. Barr, whose intervention to reduce career prosecutors sentencing recommendation she called unprecedented. But she said the politics surrounding the case had not influenced her final decision.