Alex van der Zwaan arrives at a plea agreement hearing at the D.C. federal courthouse in Washington, U.S., February 20, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Alex van der Zwaan, the Dutch lawyer who became the first person to be sentenced in the ongoing Robert Mueller-led investigation after he lied to to the FBI about his contact with former Trump campaign member Rick Gates, was hoping he’d get off without ever having to set foot in prison.
Unfortunately for him, the judge wasn’t having any of it.
According to Talking Points Memo, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she wasn’t “terribly moved” after van der Zwaan’s attorney insisted his client had already essentially “served” a four-month sentence by being stuck in his hotel room with nothing to entertain himself with as he waited for the case to move forward.
The attorney also tried to score sympathy points by bringing up the “stress” van der Zwaan and his family have been under, the difficult pregnancy of van der Zwaan’s wife, and his mother’s health problems.
Ultimately, the Dutch national’s sentence comprised of 30 days in prison, two months of probation, and a $20,000 fine.
“I just can’t say, ‘Pay your fine at the door and go,’” Judge Jackson said following her decision, further arguing that “being able to write a check and walk away” wouldn’t send a strong enough message to stop others from doing what van der Zwaan did.
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