President Trump reportedly said Thursday that his close friend Roger Stone has a “a very good chance of exoneration.” “I want to address today’s sentencing of a man, Roger Stone,” the president was quoted as saying. “I’m following this very closely and I want to see it play out to its fullest because Roger has a very good chance of exoneration in my opinion.” Stone’s longtime ally Kristin Davis issued a statement on behalf of the self-described dirty trickster, urging President Trump to issue a pardon after he was sentenced to 40 months in prison by a federal judge. “By moving forward with sentencing and continuing to silence Stone it seems very clear that the truth doesn’t matter,” Davis said. “It falls on President Trump to use the power of a pardon as the final means of checks and balances to right this horrible wrong.”

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) tweeted on Thursday that if President Trump pardons Stone it would be a “breathtaking act of corruption.” “Roger Stone was found guilty of lying to Congress and threatening a witness,” Schiff tweeted. “He did it to cover up for Trump. His sentence is justified. It should go without saying, but to pardon Stone when his crimes were committed to protect Trump would be a breathtaking act of corruption.” Stone, Trump’s close friend and longtime ally, was convicted last November of seven charges, including lying to Congress and witness tampering. On Tuesday, Trump granted clemency to 11 people, including former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and former NYC police commissioner Bernard Kerik.