Judge Amy Berman Jackson applauded Randy Credico, the witness who was threatened by Roger Stone, for writing a letter in support of a lenient sentence.

But Jackson dismissed the idea that Credico’s “sensitivity” and “concern” reflected favorably upon Stone.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Roger Stone had “flat out lied” to Congress as lawmakers investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“This is not mere equivocation,” Jackson said. “These answers were clearly false.”

Quoting a letter in support of Roger Stone, Judge Amy Berman Jackson rejected the notion that Stone was “being pursued by political enemies.”

Jackson said the record clearly showed Stone had “injected himself” into the WikiLeaks controversy by seeking the hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 campaign.

Jackson’s comments reject arguments from Trump and some of his allies that Stone is the victim of a political witch hunt.

Delivering her decision on Roger Stone’s sentence, Judge Amy Berman Jackson began, “Unsurprisingly, I have a lot to say.”

Jackson then said she would walk through each aspect of the sentencing, starting with the nature of Stone’s crimes.

Roger Stone’s sentencing hearing is back in session, and Judge Amy Berman Jackson will soon deliver her ruling.

Asked whether he would like to address the court, Roger Stone said he would not be speaking today.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson then called for a short break before she delivers her ruling on Stone’s sentencing.

Roger Stone’s lawyers argued the prosecution of his criminal case had already been punishing enough for him and his family, recommending probation for the former Trump associate.

But considered the severe terms Judge Amy Berman Jackson has used today to describe Stone’s actions, it seems unlikely she will be swayed by that argument.

Under questioning from Judge Amy Berman Jackson, federal prosecutor John Crabb defended the original prosecutors who carried out Roger Stone’s case.

Crabb, who signed on to the revised sentencing recommendation last week, blamed the change on a “misunderstanding,” saying the original prosecutors received the proper approvals for their recommendation of seven to nine years in prison.

“This prosecution was, and this prosecution is, righteous,” Crabb said.

But Crabb would not directly answer Jackson’s questions about whether he was ordered to sign the revised sentencing recommendation, which came after Trump criticized the original recommendation.

Crabb argued that process was a matter of internal deliberations, but he expressed confidence in Jackson’s eventual sentence. “We are confident the court will impose a fair and just sentence in this matter,” he said.

The federal prosecutors and Roger Stone’s lawyers argued in court over whether the former Trump associate had obstructed his own criminal case by posting about it on social media.

As a reminder, Stone was slapped with an expanded gag order last year after he posted an Instagram appearing to show Judge Amy Berman Jackson and the crosshairs of a gun.

Jackson warned in court today that the post could have incited violence against her and merited a sentencing enhancement, denouncing Stone’s behavior as “intolerable.”

The judge overseeing Roger Stone’s case agreed with his lawyers that his sentence should not be extended due to evidence of planning to obstruct Congress in its Russia investigation.

Interestingly, the federal prosecutor in Roger Stone’s case who has repeatedly referred to the original sentencing recommendation, which was later contradicted by justice department leadership, is the same prosecutor who signed on to the revised recommendatinon.

The judge overseeing Roger Stone’s case has so far ruled that sentencing guidelines which could increase his prison sentence do apply to his conviction.

But as a Politico reporter noted, the application of those guidelines does not necessarily mean Stone will receive the maximum sentence.

It appears the federal prosecutors, who were added to Roger Stone’s case after four of the original porsecutors withdrew from the case in protest, are standing by their colleagues’ original sentencing recommendation.

As a reminder, the four original prosecutors withdrew from the case because senior Justice Department leaders, including attorney geneeral William Barr, revised down their sentencing recommendation for Stone.

That revision came after Trump criticized the recommended sentence, which was seven to nine years in prison.

It now seems the prosecutors installed to replace their absent colleagues are standing by the original recommendation that the president objected to.

As Roger Stone’s sentencing hearing continues, Trump is tweeting about his former associate, claiming his crimes were on par with the actions of former FBI director James Comey and former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe.

But as a reminder, neither Comey nor McCabe were ever charged with a crime — in comparison to Stone, who was both charged and convicted on seven counts.

Roger Stone was yelled at by a few protesters as the former Trump associate arrived for his sentencing hearing at a federal courthouse in Washington.