President Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, is about to be a free man.
Cohen is set to be released from federal prison on Thursday, due to the risk of coronavirus on inmates. He is expected to serve the rest of his sentence at home, according to a source.
He has been held at FCI Otisville in New York, after pleading guilty to charges of campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress.
The 53-year-old began serving his sentence a year ago and was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021.
Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons earlier this year to increase home confinement and release eligible high-risk inmates.
The Bureau of Prisons has placed Cohen on furlough as it continues to process his move to home confinement, the source familiar with the matter said.
Confirmed… Inmate tests positive for #coronavirus at FCI Otisville Satellite Camp. It’s time for the Federal Government to act responsibly!
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) March 31, 2020
The agency has the authority to release inmates on furlough for up to 30 days.
A federal judge had previously denied Cohen’s attempt for an early release to home confinement, saying in a ruling earlier this month that it “appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle.”
However, the Bureau of Prisons can take action to move him into home confinement without a judicial order.
Other high-profile inmates have also been released from the federal prison system amid the pandemic.
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was released on home confinement last week.
Meanwhile, Michael Avenatti, the attorney who represented adult star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against President Trump, was temporarily freed from a federal jail in New York City.