came just hours after president trump tweeted that the prosecutor's suggested sentence for stone was, quote, horrible and very unfair. a miscarriage of justice. >> for the attorney general to step in, in this way, at this point, is practically unheard of. >> reporter: a defiant roger stone was convicted last year of lying to congress, witness tampering and obstructing a congressional investigation into russian interference in the 2016 election. >> i believe this is a politically motivated investigation. >> reporter: prosecutors on monday recommended a lengthy sentence, arguing stone "tampered with a witness for months." but a justice department official says leadership was blinded by prosecutors, calling their recommendation "extreme and excessive." the department says the decision to reverse the recommendation came before the president's tweet, insisting there was no white house involvement. >> no, i didn't speak to the justice -- i'd be able to do it