Donald Trump’s Former Attorney Michael Cohen To Be Released From Prison Due To Coronavirus
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, is set to be released early from prison because of the spreading coronavirus pandemic. As CNN reports, Cohen is serving three years for tax fraud, campaign finance violations, and lying to Congress. He was slated to be released in November 2021.
Cohen will get out 18 months early from a federal facility in Otisville, New York and will serve the rest of his time at home. Before he can leave prison, he will spend 14 days in a prison camp quarantine.
Facilities across the U.S. are releasing inmates over concerns that prison populations are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Non-violent offenders and those who are medically at-risk are being released.
The virus can spread rapidly among prisons, which can be overcrowded, holding people in close proximity to one another. The facility where Cohen is currently being held has had at least 14 inmates and seven guards test positive for the disease.
After reporting for his sentence in May 2019, Cohen had previously requested early release last month, but it was rejected. His legal team argued the Justice Department wasn’t treating him fairly. He also added he was concerned about contracting the novel coronavirus.
Cohen spoke with a House subcommittee before being put behind bars. At the time, he testified he had made hush-money payments — which violated campaign finance laws — “in coordination with and at the direction of” the president.
“The counts against Cohen included tax fraud, false statements to a bank and campaign finance violations tied to his work for Trump, including payments Cohen made or helped orchestrate that were designed to silence women who claimed affairs with the then-candidate,” CNN reported at the time.
Trump’s former lawyer is among several high profile names getting out of prison because of the pandemic. Michael Avenatti, who is being held in Manhattan while he awaits trial, is being released as well. Avenatti became famous after representing Stormy Daniels, the woman who claims she had an affair with Trump and received hush-money payments from Cohen.
He will complete a period of quarantine and will be released as he awaits sentencing. He was convicted of trying to extort the sports brand Nike for $20 million. He is also facing two other trials, including one for stealing money from Daniels — though he maintains his innocence.
Currently, 1,198 inmates have been released early because of the coronavirus crisis. In the entire system of more than 143,000 inmates, 473 have tested positive for the virus and 18 have died.
