McCarthy on Roger Stone: ‘Commuting him was correct’

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Friday he supports President Trump’s order from last week commuting the prison sentence of Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress.

“I don’t think it would be right to pardon him,” McCarthy said during a weekly press conference. “I think commuting him was correct.”

“I think the president did the right thing and he has the right to do it. And if you watch, the president has used his power much less than other presidents in the past, considerably less than what the Democratic presidents used,” he added.

Stone was sentenced to three years and four months in prison after a jury found him guilty of charges that also included witness tampering and obstruction in connection with former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

After Trump granted him clemency on July 10, Stone accused McCarthy and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) during an appearance on The Charlie Kirk show of advocating against the move until after the election.

When asked Friday about Stone’s remarks, McCarthy said he’s “not sure what Stone is talking about.”

Stefanik told Fox News that she has “not advocated for any pardoning issues with the president.”

“I believe, constitutionally, any issues of pardoning are the president’s decision to make and I support the president’s choice,” she said.

A handful of GOP lawmakers, such as Sens. Mitt Romney (Utah) and Pat Toomey (Pa.), called Trump’s move a “mistake.”

Trump asserted last week that the case against Stone — who maintains his innocence — was politically motivated.