New York - Former lawyer of US President Donald Trump, Michael
Cohen, is to be released early from prison because of the coronavirus
pandemic, according to a media report.
The US federal Bureau of Prisons has informed Cohen, CNN reported,
citing Cohen's lawyer Roger Adler.
Several inmates and employees of the Otisville prison in New York
State, where Cohen was to serve his three-year sentence until
November 2021, have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the
report said.
After a 14-day quarantine, Cohen will be allowed to spend the rest of
his sentence under house arrest. An exact date for his release was
not given.
Cohen had pleaded guilty in 2018 in court to several offenses,
including false testimony before Congress and violating campaign
finance laws.
The latter involved "hush money" payments that Cohen said he had made
on behalf of Trump.
Cohen worked for Trump for more than a decade and was often described
as Trump's "fixer" until a rift occurred between them.
Cohen turned away from Trump and made serious accusations against him
in court and in the US Congress.