Reprinted with permission from Alternet

On Friday night, President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of Roger Stone — a longtime friend and ally who was found guilty on seven counts of criminal charges as a result of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany released a statement confirming the commutation, justifying the decision with a slew of the president's frequent lies about the Mueller probe.

Notably, Attorney General Bill Barr had intervened to reduce the Justice Department's sentencing recommendations for Stone over the objections of career prosecutors and in contravention to usual practice. But in an interview this week, Barr said he believed Stone should serve the sentence he got.

The White House's statement concluded:

Mr. Stone would be put at serious medical risk in prison. He has appealed his conviction and is seeking a new trial. He maintains his innocence and has stated that he expects to be fully exonerated by the justice system. Mr. Stone, like every American, deserves a fair trial and every opportunity to vindicate himself before the courts. The President does not wish to interfere with his efforts to do so. At this time, however, and particularly in light of the egregious facts and circumstances surrounding his unfair prosecution, arrest, and trial, the President has determined to commute his sentence. Roger Stone has already suffered greatly. He was treated very unfairly, as were many others in this case. Roger Stone is now a free man!