Former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort was released from prison on Wednesday due to coronavirus fears and will serve the remainder of his term under house arrest, The Washington Post reports.
Manafort, who has been in prison since June 2018 when he was indicted in former special counsel Bob Mueller’s investigation, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruct justice in connection to his lobbying work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine.
Manafort was serving a seven-year term at a Pennsylvania minimum-security prison. His term is set to end November 2024.
Lawyers cited coronavirus concerns:
Manafort’s attorneys argued last month that Manafort should be released due to concerns about the pandemic.
“Mr. Manafort is 71 years old and suffers from several preexisting health conditions, including high blood pressure, liver disease, and respiratory ailments,” his lawyers said.
Manafort was hospitalized last year due to heart problems and in February after he got the flu, his lawyers said.
“Mr. Manafort is at a significantly higher risk for serious illness or death,” they argued.
But not Michael Cohen:
Longtime Trump fixer Michael Cohen also sought an early release. He was told in April that he would be released to house arrest but the decision was rescinded, ABC News reported.
Cohen, who is serving a 3-year sentence at a prison in Otisville, where numerous inmates have tested positive, is scheduled to be released November 2021.
It’s unclear why the decision was rescinded.
“It appears that other prisoners at Otisville who were granted home confinement have also lost those privileges,” ABC reported.
