Paul Manafort asks to finish prison sentence at home due to COVID-19

April 14 (UPI) -- Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, has requested to serve the rest of his federal prison sentence at home due to risks presented by the coronavirus outbreak.

Manafort, 71, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for tax evasion, fraud and witness tampering in connection with the Justice Department's Russia investigation. Monday, his attorneys made the request in a letter to the Bureau of Prisons.

His attorneys argue that Manafort, who guided Trump's campaign in 2016, has served almost a quarter of his term and has pre-existing conditions that could make him vulnerable to the coronavirus disease -- including high blood pressure, liver disease and respiratory ailments.

"Manafort was hospitalized for several days [in December] due to a heart condition," attorney Kevin Downing wrote in the letter, also noting that Manafort had the flu and bronchitis in February. "Mr. Manafort currently takes 11 prescription medications daily to treat his various health conditions, eight of which are relevant to the requested relief."

U.S. Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons last month to grant home confinement requests to non-violent inmates who pose little risk of committing new crimes during the pandemic.

"Home confinement also is more likely to decrease Mr. Manafort's risk of contracting COVID-19 because he will be residing with his wife of 42 years, Kathleen Manafort, in a three-bedroom apartment in Northern Virginia," Downing added.

"While in home confinement, Mr. Manafort will remain in his apartment into self-quarantine and best protect himself and others in the community from exposure to COVID-19."

Manafort has been in prison since mid-2018 and is scheduled for release in November 2024.