- The Washington Times - Monday, April 20, 2020

Sen. John Kennedy on Monday urged Attorney General William P. Barr to deny requests for early releases for Bernie Madoff and Allen Stanford, two elderly financial fraudsters who swindled investors out of billions, amid growing calls to protect at-risk inmates during the coronavirus outbreak.

In a letter to Mr. Barr, Mr. Kennedy, Louisiana Republican and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Stanford and Madoff should be “the last ones” to receive leniency amid the pandemic.

“Releasing either of these individuals, or anyone similarly situated, would be an affront to those affected by their evil schemes and a complete failure in the administration of justice,” he said.

Madoff, 81, is serving a 150-year sentence after being convicted of bilking investors out of $17.5 billion in a Ponzi scheme. His lawyers want him released because he suffers from terminal kidney disease.

Meanwhile, Stanford, 70, is serving a 110-year sentence for financial fraud. He was found guilty of running an unrelated $7 billion Ponzi scheme that also swindled thousands of investors.

Stanford’s lawyers have not publicly requested his release. However, as an older inmate, he would be under consideration to serve his sentence at home at least through the pandemic’s end.

But Mr. Kennedy said the outbreak should not be a get-out-of-jail card for the two fraudsters.

 

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.

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