Cohen had been told he was to be released from a federal prison camp to home confinement on Friday, but that did not occur. A source says release is expected to go forward later this month.
Michael Cohen’s early release from prison was delayed without explanation, one of his lawyers said Saturday in a statement that also said President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney was being held “in the functional equivalent of solitary confinement.”
Cohen adviser and friend Lanny Davis did not directly allege any political meddling in the handling of Cohen’s application to be released early on account of the coronavirus outbreak, but he appeared to signal that such a charge would be leveled if Cohen’s request to be sent home isn’t granted soon.
Cohen — who pleaded guilty and received a three-year sentence in 2018 on various charges including campaign finance violations related to Trump’s 2016 campaign and obstructing Congress’ investigation into ties between the campaign and Russia — had been told he was to be released from an Otisville, N.Y., federal prison camp to home confinement on Friday, but that did not occur, according to Davis.
“We are disappointed not only that there was this delay but that no explanation has been offered to him or his family as to the reason for the delay,” Davis said. “We also hope that authorities at the Justice Department and the Bureau of Prisons remain committed to implement the Attorney General’s humane policy during this Covid-19 pandemic crisis, and that no political influences are allowed to interfere that might lead to any further delay.”
One reason for concern in Cohen’s camp was a report last week in the Daily Beast that Trump was “visibly agitated” at the prospect of Cohen’s early release. The president’s lawyers are also threatening legal action against Cohen over a book he is writing that is an inside account of his relationship with Trump.
However, Cohen also appears to be caught up in a broader policy flip-flop by the federal Bureau of Prisons — and perhaps, Justice Department officials — about which of the roughly 170,000 federal inmates are eligible for home confinement because of the threat posed by Covid-19.
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Michael Cohen had been told he was to be released from a federal prison camp to home confinement on Friday, but that didn't happenhttps://t.co/B9ljY3KmYD
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