Federal Prison Is No Match For Donald Trump If He's Convicted, Expert Says - Exclusive
Donald Trump has now been indicted not once, not twice, but three times for a multitude of white-collar crimes. Currently, the disgraced former president is facing down 40 criminal charges over his alleged misuse of classified documents as well as 34 felony counts of allegedly falsifying business records to pay off adult film actor Stormy Daniels (née Stephanie Clifford) in exchange for her silence regarding a purported sexual tryst between the pair.
"Under New York state law, it is a felony to falsify business records with intent to defraud and intent to conceal another crime. That is exactly what this case is about: 34 false statements, made to cover up other crimes," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a press conference shortly after Trump's first arraignment back in April. "These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct," he declared.
But will these charges actually result in cold, hard prison time for the former president? One federal white-collar crime expert told us here at Nicki Swift that even if Trump were convicted, the answer is a resounding no, as the federal prison system is no match for The Donald.
The Bureau of Prisons is ill-equipped to secure Trump
Federal white-collar crime consultant Sam Mangel exclusively told Nicki Swift that the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons simply doesn't have the capability to properly secure a former president turned potential prisoner like Trump. "Trump is entitled to lifetime Secret Service protection. That means that the former president requires 24-hour protection from up to a dozen or more agents even while in a prison camp. Given the environment, that number of agents is just too high to accommodate," Mangel explained.
To make matters worse, Mangel said that the Bureau of Prisons is already short-staffed. "Minimum security camps require and receive the fewest number of staff. "In addition, and maybe most importantly, Trump retains a significant amount of national security knowledge and privileged top-secret information," he said. "Having such a high-profile person in a custodial setting just isn't feasible for the country," he declared.
Housing Donald Trump could pose a risk to other inmates
Aside from the burden on the United States Federal prison system, white-collar advisor Sam Mangel also warned that attempting to house Trump would put the rest of the prison population at risk. "The overall burden that it would place on the BOP is just too substantial and could put other inmates at risk," he cautioned. According to Mangel, federal prison camps consist of dorms as opposed to personal cells and require a communal type of living shared between two to four inmates. Bathrooms and showers are also communal. "It is physically impossible to separate him from other inmates," Mangel noted.
So what's the alternative? Should Trump be convicted of any or all of his alleged crimes, Mangel told us that he believes Trump will be given a noncustodial sentence such as home confinement or community service. TBD as to whether Trump will be trading his red MAGA hat for a jumpsuit, an ankle monitor, or perhaps nothing at all.
Trump could have trial dismissed if re-elected in 2024
Is the third time really the charm? Spoiler alert: On August 1, Donald Trump was indicted for a third time. According to the official document filed by the United States Department of Justice and Special Counsel Jack Smith, the former president and 2024 presidential hopeful was charged with a total of four counts of criminal activity, including "conspiracy to defraud the United States," "conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding," "obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding," and last but certainly not least, "conspiracy against rights." But that's not all. The Department of Justice went on to allege that Trump committed these crimes all in an effort to annul the results of the 2020 United States presidential election and subsequently "remain in power."
But what does this mean for Trump? And does this new indictment increase his odds of actually serving time in federal prison? While Smith vowed in a statement that his office "will seek a speedy trial" for Trump, Trump's former impeachment trial attorney, Robert Ray argued on CNN that it's entirely possible that should Trump be re-elected in 2024, he could have the case thrown out. It should also be noted that time isn't necessarily on the prosecution's side, as these proceedings often take many months. So, once again, it's entirely possible that Trump won't set foot in federal prison after all, even if the federal prison system could properly secure him.