From a medium-security prison in Butner, North Carolina, where the 75-year-old Ponzi-schemer is serving a 150-year sentence, Bernie Madoff still has his convictions. Politico published what Madoff estimates is his fifth in-the-flesh interview since being sent south in 2009, and it is every bit as out of touch as his previous attempts to explain himself. In addition to calling his sentencing judge “an idiot” and insisting, “I’ve made more money for Jewish people and charities than I’ve lost,” Madoff held forth on Bill de Blasio, Barack Obama, and bad Chinese food.
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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio? “I’m not a great fan of redistribution of wealth,” Madoff says.
He prefers that people earn the things they have.
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Madoff voted for Obama in 2008, but now says he is “terribly disappointed” in the president and would not have voted for him a second time. “His policies are too socialist.”
Which leads us to his living arrangements …
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“It’s actually very pretty,” he said. “More like a college campus.” He added, “Everything’s provided for you.”
And yet, despite the fact that cells aren’t even locked at night, things just aren’t up to par, especially the ethnic food.
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Even the food in prison is mostly “all right,” though he reminisced about traveling to cities like Hong Kong and his love for Asian food. The canteen at Butner sometimes serves chicken fried rice, but that it is “horrible.”
“Everybody thinks the worst of me,” Madoff laments. Why his solution is to keep talking, even he has no idea:
Asked why he agreed to this interview, Madoff responded, “I’m not sure why I’m doing this.”
