Paul Manafort Seeks Release From Prison Over Possibility of Contracting Coronavirus
Paul Manafort , President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, is requesting an early release from prison as he faces the risk of contracting the coronavirus. In a letter , addressed to the Federal Bureau of Prisons…
Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, is requesting an early release from prison as he faces the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
In a letter, addressed to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Manafort’s lawyer, Kevin Downing, asks for Manafort to be confined to his home for the remainder of his sentence or for the duration of the Coronavirus Outbreak.
Downing cites Manafort’s age and pre-existing conditions as reasons for why he needs to leave the prison.
Manafort is serving his sentence in Pennsylvania. The letter reports there are at least 22,833 confirmed cases and up to 507 deaths in the state. There are no reported cases at the facility where Manafort is imprisoned.
The letter goes on to reference a memo Attorney General William Barr issued.
The memo directs the BOP to “prioritize the use of its ‘various statutory authorities to grant home confinement for inmates seeking transfer in connection with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.'”
Barr is directing the BOP to assess inmates who have risk factors and transfer them for home confinement following a quarantine.
Downing calls on the BOP to act swiftly and release Manafort for home confinement.