Michael Cohen reportedly has his early prison release rescinded
Michael Cohen will reportedly not be getting out of prison early after all.
Cohen, the former personal lawyer to President Trump who pleaded guilty to charges of tax fraud, campaign finance violations, and lying to Congress, was informed earlier this month he would be able to serve the remainder of his three-year sentence at home due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, his attorney said.
But on Friday, ABC News reported that Cohen's early release has been rescinded, and other inmates at the New York prison reportedly appear to have had their home confinements rescinded as well. Cohen, The Daily Beast reports, had spent 14 days in quarantine and was expected to be released on Friday, but it's "unclear what prompted the last-minute decision." In a press conference on Friday, asked if the White House intervened, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, "Absolutely not."
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Cohen has reportedly been working on a tell-all book about his time working for Trump, as The Daily Beast reported, and on Friday, ABC reported that Trump Organization lawyers had sent a letter to Cohen demanding he stop writing it, citing a nondisclosure agreement he signed. The Beast previously quoted a source close to Cohen as saying "the stories that will be in the book aren't privileged" but would be "about what it's like being around this man and things that he did that most people typically do not do." Cohen is scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021.
Update 4:12 p.m.: The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that while Cohen did not return home on Friday, his "early release hasn't been rescinded, and he will be eligible at the end of the month."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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