WASHINGTON 鈥� Steven Alm, who鈥檚 running to take over as Honolulu鈥檚 top elected prosecutor, is former U.S. Justice Department officials who called on Attorney General William Barr to resign after his apparent meddling in the criminal case against Roger Stone, one of President Donald Trump鈥檚 closest allies.

A federal judge sentenced Stone to Thursday for lying to Congress and witness tampering in a case stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller鈥檚 investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Federal prosecutors originally asked the judge to sentence Stone to seven to nine years in prison. After Trump that such a punishment was 鈥渉orrible and very unfair,鈥� Barr overrode the sentencing recommendation from his prosecutors, causing them to in protest.

Alm signed from former DOJ officials that called on Barr to resign and described his behavior in the Stone case as 鈥渁 grave threat to the fair administration of justice.鈥�

鈥淚n this nation, we are all equal before the law,鈥� the letter states. 鈥淎 person should not be given special treatment in a criminal prosecution because they are a close political ally of the President. Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics; they are autocracies.鈥�

Alm is a former U.S. attorney, who was appointed to the position in 1994 by then-President Bill Clinton. He鈥檚 also a former state court judge.

Alm is now running for election to replace Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro, who is currently on paid leave while under criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.

Kaneshiro has been named a target in one of the largest corruption probes in Hawaii鈥檚 history, one that began with Honolulu鈥檚 former police chief, Louis Kealoha, and his wife, Katherine, who was a deputy prosecutor, framing a family member for the theft of their mailbox with the help of an elite unit of officers.

The case expanded to include Kaneshiro, who has been a loyal ally of Katherine Kealoha, and Corporation Counsel Donna Leong, a top official in Mayor Kirk Caldwell鈥檚 cabinet who helped orchestrate a $250,000 payout to Louis Kealoha using taxpayer money.

When Alm announced his candidacy he said his campaign would focus on 鈥渞estoring trust to the prosecutor鈥檚 office.鈥�

At least two other former federal prosecutors from Hawaii, Thomas Helper and Lynn Panagakos, also put their names to the letter.