Attorney General William Barr reportedly recommended President Donald Trump not commute the jail sentence for longtime ally Roger Stone, NBC News reported Saturday.
Citing unnamed sources, NBC reported Barr and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows recommended against the move over concerns of political blowback.
An administration official told NBC Barr had nothing to do with the decision to commute Stone's sentence, and the Department of Justice had encouraged the president against the move.
Trump on Friday night announced the commutation of Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress in connection with its investigation into Russian interference, witness tampering, and obstructing an official proceeding.
He had been scheduled to start his 40-month prison term July 14.
Vanity Fair, citing unnamed sources, reported Wednesday the West Wing was at war over the issue.
White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Barr were both against the move.
"Barr has told Trump not to do it, and if he does, there will be a mutiny at DOJ," an unnamed source told Vanity Fair.
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