Monica Lewinsky Criticizes Paul Manafort Verdict: 'I Was Threatened With 27 Years'

Activist and television personality Monica Lewinsky, who infamously had an “inappropriate relationship” with former President Bill Clinton, took to Twitter on Thursday to criticize former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort receiving only 47 months in prison for financial fraud convictions.

Lewinsky retweeted whistleblower Edward Snowden’s tweet which compared Manafort’s punishment – which was far lesser than the 19 to 22 years of prison term recommended by the prosecutors in the case – to that handed to his counterpart, Chelsea Manning, for “revealing evidence of actual war crimes to the press.” Lewinsky also stressed on the fact that she, too, thought Manafort got away with a minimal sentence, given that she was treated far more harshly by the grand jury two decades ago.

“I had been threatened w/ 27 years for filing a false affidavit + other actions trying desperately to keep an affair private,” she wrote, recounting the intense investigation and public scrutiny that she had to face when her affair with Clinton became public.

In the recent years, Lewinsky typically avoided answering queries about her affair with the former president. In November, she walked off the stage during an interview at the Jerusalem Convention Center when she was asked if she still expected a “personal apology” from Clinton for the fallout of their affair during the 1990s. “I’m so sorry. I’m not going to be able to do this,” Lewinsky said, before leaving the stage.

She later explained on Twitter why she chose to walk away from the stage that day. “After a talk today on the perils and positives of the internet, there was to be a 15-minute conversation to follow up on the subject of my speech (not a news interview). There were clear parameters about what we would be discussing and what we would not be. In fact, the exact question the interviewer asked first, she had put to me when we met the day prior. I said that was off limits. When she asked me it on stage, with blatant disregard for our agreement, it became clear to me I had been mislead. I left because it is more important than ever for women to stand up for themselves and not allow others to control their narrative. To the audience: I'm very sorry that this talk had to end this way,” her statement said.

Lewinsky’s latest tweet came after Manafort was convicted of eight criminal charges Thursday for filing false tax returns, bank fraud and failing to report foreign bank accounts in August.

Judge T.S. Ellis, who handed Manafort the prison sentence at the Virginia courthouse, acknowledged the fact that the latter had committed serious crimes and had suffered in jail. "Life is making choices, Mr. Manafort, and living with the choices you make," Ellis said. "You made choices to engage in criminal conduct.”

During his hearing, Manafort asked the judge to be “compassionate,” saying that prayer and faith had helped him. "The person that I have been described as in public is not someone I recognize," Manafort said. "To say that I feel humiliated and ashamed would be a gross understatement.”