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Michael Cohen Qualifies For Early Release From Prison

   DailyWire.com
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 21: Michael Cohen, former lawyer to U.S. President Donald Trump, exits the Federal Courthouse on August 21, 2018 in New York City. Cohen reached an agreement with prosecutors, pleading guilty to charges involving bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance violations.
Photo by Yana Paskova/Getty Images

President Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen will be allowed to leave federal prison less than one year into his three-year sentence for several crimes, including lying to Congress and campaign finance violations, due to coronavirus concerns. 

According to The New York Times, Cohen will be held for a 14-day quarantine period at a medium-security prison, and then be allowed to continue serving his sentence at home. People familiar with the matter told CNN that Cohen will be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence through home confinement.

The former lawyer has been serving time at a minimum security prison, and he is part of a batch of prisoners who have been allowed to serve their sentences either in part or in whole under house arrest, reports the news agency.

Cohen was not scheduled for release until well after the 2020 general election, but he has been working on prison projects to try and nab an earlier release date, reports CNN. 

As The Daily Wire previously reported, Cohen tried to have his sentence reduced prior to the prison’s policy change, but was instead blasted by the judge for trying to “inject himself into the news cycle.”

“Apparently searching for a new argument to justify a modification of his sentence to home confinement, Cohen now raises the specter of COVID-19,” wrote the judge in March. “That Cohen would seek to single himself out for release to home confinement appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle.”

“Ten months into his prison term, it’s time that Cohen accept the consequences of his criminal convictions for serious crimes that had far reaching institutional harms,” wrote the judge, reports Politico

Michael Avenatti, the attorney who gained national prominence for attacking the president on television, has also been scheduled for early release, albeit he will have to return to prison after three months. Unlike Cohen, Avenatti will get to spend his quarantine in California at a friend’s house in Venice. 

But similar to Cohen, Avenatti was also denied early release last March, with the judge arguing there was no basis for his request, reports Politico

“There is no basis to release Avenatti on medical grounds,” said the judge, reports the news agency. “The Bureau of Prisons and MCC specifically have taken substantial steps to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. MCC has moved ‘at-risk’ prisoners, which presumably includes Avenatti, to a separate unit.

After the judge denied Avenatti’s request, President Trump trolled the attorney on Twitter, mocking the fact that he was treated as a potential presidential candidate and openly flirted with running multiple times. 

“Gee, that’s too bad. Such a fine guy,” remarked Trump.“Presidential aspirations you know!”

According to NBC News, Avenatti was arrested for trying to extort Nike out of millions of dollars only 15 minutes after announcing a press conference to disclose a “major” scandal being perpetuated by the company. Avenatti was found guilty in February, and will face up to a maximum of 42 years in prison. He has not yet been sentenced.

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