Paul Manafort Reportedly Suffering From Anxiety, Depression, And Severe Gout While In Prison
Paul Manafort is having a very rough time in prison, his lawyer claims.
The former chair of Donald Trump’s campaign, in prison after being convicted on a number of tax fraud charges, is suffering from depression and anxiety as well as a severe and painful case of gout, Manafort’s lawyers said in new court filings. As the New York Post reported, Manafort has been kept in solitary confinement, which his lawyers claim is having a detrimental effect on his mental and physical health.
The court filing noted that Manafort’s conditions have sometimes disabled him.
“As just one example, for several months Mr. Manafort has suffered from severe gout, at times confining him to a wheelchair,” the filing read.
“He also suffers from depression and anxiety and, due to the facility’s visitation regulations, has had very little contact with his family.”
Manafort had shown signs of physical distress before. As CNN reported, he was taken to an October court appearance in a wheelchair with a bandaged foot, and a source claimed that he was suffering inflammation due to his diet. Gout is an inflammatory disease that can be triggered by a diet with too many red meats or alcohol of over-sugary drinks.
Paul Manafort’s living conditions while in prison have been a matter of great interest. Manafort’s lawyers had claimed in July that he did not have sufficient time or resources to prepare for his trial and had request a delay, but prosecutors said that Manafort had described himself as a “VIP” while in jail, Business Insider reported.
Failed redactions in a court filing show that Paul Manafort met with suspected Russian intelligence operative Konstantin Kilimnik in Madrid. https://t.co/xxNZYC9NFo
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) January 8, 2019
The court filing revealed a number of perks given to Manafort that are not available to other prisoners, including what amounted to his own small apartment while in custody.
“Among the unique privileges Manafort enjoys at the jail are a private, self-contained living unit, which is larger than other inmates’ units, his own bathroom and shower facility, his own personal telephone, and his own workspace to prepare for trial,” a footnote in the filing reads.
“Manafort is also not required to wear a prison uniform. On the monitored prison phone calls, Manafort has mentioned that he is being treated like a ‘VIP.'”
There is a chance that Paul Manafort may not have to endure the condition of prison for too much longer. Donald Trump had floated the idea of issuing a pardon for his former campaign manager but has not said officially whether he plans to do it.
