Judge says Manafort must switch jails
WASHINGTON » A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, has ordered Paul Manafort to be moved to the city jail, although Manafort has asked to stay in a rural facility where prosecutors say he is receiving special treatment.
Judge T.S. Ellis wrote in a filing published Wednesday that Manafort’s “access to counsel and his ability to prepare for trial trumps his personal comfort.”
Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager, had asked for his July 25 federal trial in Alexandria, Virginia, on bank and tax fraud charges to be delayed in large part because it was difficult to prepare while incarcerated 100 miles away.
But on Tuesday, Manafort resisted being moved to Alexandria, arguing that while the city jail would be more convenient, he did not want to adjust to new circumstances so close to trial.
“It is surprising and confusing when counsel identifies a problem and then opposes the most logical solution to that problem,” Ellis wrote. “The dissonance between defendant’s motion to continue and motion opposing transfer to the Alexandria Detention Center cannot easily be explained or resolved.”
Prosecutors said in a court filing Wednesday that Manafort has told people he is being treated like a “VIP” in the Northern Neck jail, where he has his own phone and computer, writes emails and does not have to wear a uniform.
Moreover, attorneys for Robert Mueller’s special counsel probe say Manafort wants the trial delayed only for strategic reasons.
In a recent phone call they say he explained in vague terms why he wanted to go to trial first in D.C. federal court, where he faces related charges in a trial set for September.
“Think about how it’ll play elsewhere,” Manafort said, according to the court filing. “There is a strategy to it, even in failure, but there’s a hope in it.”
In recent phone calls, they say Manafort also has said he has “all my files like I would at home,” has “gone through all the discovery now,” and is being treated like a “VIP.”
Manafort speaks to his attorneys every day and often multiple times a day, they said. While the calls are limited to 15 minutes in length, there is no limit on how many calls he can make.
“Among the unique privileges Manafort enjoys at the jail are a private, self-contained living unit, which is larger than other inmates’ units, his own bathroom and shower facility, his own personal telephone, and his own workspace to prepare for trial,” the prosecutors wrote. “Manafort is also not required to wear a prison uniform.”
He also has a personal laptop, they say, with an extension cord so he can use it in his unit and not just the workroom.