Manafort to be moved from jail
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.