Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants Paul Manafort released from solitary confinement

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has found an unlikely subject to get her prison reform message across.

On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that President Trump's former campaign chair Paul Manafort would reportedly be transferred to the notorious Rikers Island prison in New York City and would likely face solitary confinement. That meant the high-profile prisoner would be held in a "human rights violation," as she wrote in a tweet.

Ocasio-Cortez then tweeted that she got that information from a New York Times report, which said Manafort was "likely to face solitary confinement" at Rikers. But there's a difference between solitary confinement and holding a prisoner alone for their protection, and after Ocasio-Cortez tweeted to distinguish the two, it appears the Times removed the term from its article. Fox News also reported the story and has so far preserved the terminology.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Manafort was sentenced to 73 months in prison back in March for his federal crimes, but has been indicted on New York state fraud charges, prompting a judge to reportedly order his transfer.