Federal Judge: Former Trump Campaign Chair Paul Manafort Faces "Real Possibility" Of Life In Prison

Paul Manafort

A federal judge in Virginia says former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort poses not only a "substantial risk of flight" but also faces "the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison."

From Politico:

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who is based in Alexandria, Virginia, and is assigned to a newly filed indictment against Manafort dealing with bank fraud and tax evasion, said the veteran lobbyist and political consultant posed “a substantial risk of flight” because of his assets and the gravity of his legal predicament.

“The defendant is a person of great wealth who has the financial means and international connections to flee and remain at large, as well as every incentive to do so,” Ellis wrote in an order setting the terms of what the judge called “home incarceration” for Manafort, 68, who lives in Alexandria but also has homes in Florida and on Long Island.

“Given the nature of the charges against the defendant and the apparent weight of the evidence against him, defendant faces the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison,” wrote Ellis, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan.

NFL's Aaron Hernandez Found Guilty Of Murder, Sentenced To Life In Prison

Aaron Hernandez found guilty on all charges http://t.co/6PbdpoFpla (@AP_Interactive) pic.twitter.com/i9eiYXVB6p

— AP NFL (@AP_NFL) April 15, 2015

Gambian President Signs "Life In Prison For Gays" Into Law

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has signed into law legislation which makes being gay punishable by life in prison:

The law targets those with a previous conviction for homosexuality, those living with HIV, and same-sex partners of people with disabilities - all of whom could be imprisoned for life.

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Thursday the law violates fundamental human rights - among them the right to privacy, to freedom from discrimination and freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention.

"I call on The Gambia to fulfil its international obligations to promote and protect the human rights of all persons without discrimination, to repeal all provisions of the Criminal Code that criminalise relations between consenting adults and to put in place an immediate moratorium on arrests on the basis of such laws," he said in a statement.

Our good friend Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association cheered the passage of the bill via Twitter when it was passed in September.

But remember - Mr. Fischer says he has no animus towards the gays at all...

Right.

(h/t JMG)