Unaware that they were being captured on video that looks like it could have been an outtake from “The Godfather”, Matt Gaetz (far left, above) assured Roger Stone ahead of his 2019 trial on charges of obstructing a Congressional Investigation – that were levied by Robert Mueller Inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election – that he was “working on” a Presidential pardon for Stone and he didn’t think the “big guy can let you go down for this”.
Washington Post
“As Roger Stone prepared to stand trial in 2019, complaining he was under pressure from federal prosecutors to incriminate Donald Trump, a close ally of the president repeatedly assured Stone that “the boss” would likely grant him clemency if he were convicted, a recording shows.
At an event at a Trump property that October, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) predicted that Stone would be found guilty at his trial in Washington the following month but would not “do a day” in prison. Gaetz was apparently unaware they were being recorded by documentary filmmakers following Stone, who special counsel Robert S. Mueller III had charged with obstruction of a congressional investigation.
“The boss still has a very favorable view of you,” said Gaetz, stressing that the president had “said it directly.” He also said, “I don’t think the big guy can let you go down for this
Gaetz also told Stone that he was subject of a lot of discussion in the redacted parts of the Mueller report which, as a member of The House Judiciary Committee Gaetz had access to, possibly to indicate how much Stone needed the Resident’s help ahead of his trial testimony…
“They’re going to do you, because you’re not gonna have a defense,”
Responding to the Post about this story, Gaetz charged that the recording was illegally obtained, although Stone knew he was micced up, and, during the recording Gaetz had acknowledged that they were quite possibly being recorded:
As Roger Stone prepared to stand trial in 2019, complaining he was under pressure from federal prosecutors to incriminate Donald Trump, a close ally of the president repeatedly assured Stone that “the boss” would likely grant him clemency if he were convicted, a recording shows. pic.twitter.com/PjWUqnzsub
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 30, 2022
The filmmaker disputes Gaetz.
“Christoffer Guldbrandsen, the film’s director, said the congressman’s remark about recording devices suggested he had no such expectation. “There is nothing illegal about this recording,” Guldbrandsen told The Post.”
Stone was convicted of seven felony counts of obstruction during trial and, after publicly praising him for “not flipping” on him, Trump pardoned Stone (as promised?) shortly thereafter.
Leaving aside questions of how it was obtained, the video is damning for both the President and Gaetz.
Per Politico, Trump’s own Attorney General, Bill Barr, made the following statement at his 2019 Confirmation hearing…
“At his confirmation hearing in 2019, former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr was asked whether a quid-pro-quo pardon is a crime. He testified: “I think that if a pardon was a quid pro quo to altering testimony, then it would definitely implicate an obstruction statute,” and if issued in exchange for a promise not to incriminate the president, “would be a crime.”
Yes, it was a crime then and is a crime now.
Will there ever be consequences?
Or should we fahgettaboutit?
It’s hard to believe these 3rd rate criminals had film crews following them around and recording their criming. Was this their attempt at fame? Whatever the reason, Ron White had it right when he said “You can’t fix stupid.”
But, Matty, if you didn’t do anything wrong, then you should have NO problem if something was being recorded or filmed, should you?