Justice Department BLOCKS order to move Manafort to Rikers Island

The DOJ has blocked a move to send Paul Manafort to the infamous New York state prison named Rikers Island. Instead they are keeping him in federal custody:

FOX NEWS – Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was transferred to a federal prison in New York City late Monday ahead of his pending state court trial — but only after the Justice Department rejected a local district attorney’s widely criticized bid to move him to the notorious Rikers Island prison complex.

Manafort was instead transferred to the New York Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), a federal detention facility located in Manhattan.

Manafort’s transfer came after Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen rejected Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr.’s attempt to re-locate Manafort to Rikers Island.

A senior Justice Department official told Fox News that Manafort’s attorneys contacted the Bureau of Prisons and “raised concerns about his transfer to state custody related to his health and personal safety.”

Fox News first reported this month that a New York State judge ordered Manafort’s transfer to Riker’s Island at Vance’s request. However, because Manafort has been convicted on federal charges, any attempt to move him out of federal custody must be approved by Rosen. On Monday, Rosen denied the attempt, effectively keeping Manafort in federal custody.

“There’s no reason for [Manafort] to go to Rikers,” a source close to the case told Fox News. “He can go to his New York initial appearance and then return to federal custody.”

This is certainly good news for Manafort.

According to John Cardillo, the move was made by the DA in order to persecute Manafort:

The report doesn’t mention Bill Barr but he certainly could have had a hand in it.

According to Fox News, prisoners at the federal MCC include Sayfullo Saipov, Ceasr Syaoc, and El Chapo.


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