Yuri Gripas/Reuters
Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is being held in solitary confinement for at least 23 hours a day to “guarantee his safety” while awaiting his two trials, according to court documents filed last week. Defense attorney Kevin Downing wrote that Manafort cannot adequately prepare for his trials in solitary confinement, and attempted to argue for his release by saying that his charges are for non-violent offenses. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office shot back, saying that witness tampering was “no less damaging to the justice system when committed through covert corrupt persuasion than through overt violence.” Since June, New York magazine reports that he’s been locked away in the “VIP” section of the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Virginia. Mueller’s office says that Manafort’s treatment is “common to defendants incarcerated pending trial,” while former Trump lawyer John Dowd said it was “harsh” and an “outrageous violation” of his civil liberties.