Friday, 8 March 2019

'Scathing indictment': Paul Manafort sentencing draws accusations of privilege

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez says justice system ‘broken’ as lawyers compare jail time to that of low-level offenders

Lawyers and politicians have voiced their outrage at the 47-month prison sentence handed to Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, for bank and tax fraud, arguing that white privilege and wealth had led to privileged treatment under the law.

Manafort had pleaded with the judge, TS Ellis, to show compassion in his sentencing at the court in Virginia. The federal sentencing guidelines for serious fraud cases such as this are between 19 and 24 years in prison, but Ellis described the guidelines as “excessive” and “out of whack”, saying Manafort had no prior criminal history and had lived “an otherwise blameless life”.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Uq7I7L

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