Michael Avenatti, the high-profile attorney and critic of President Trump, was arrested Monday and charged by federal prosecutors with trying to extort Nike by threatening to level damaging allegations against the athletic apparel company unless it paid him and his client millions.
Simultaneously, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles filed separate charges accusing Avenatti of wire fraud for allegedly taking a client’s settlement money and using it to pay expenses for Avenatti’s coffee business. Avenatti allegedly concealed from the client what he had done with the money.
The charges mark the latest and most remarkable chapter in the strange public saga of the California lawyer who had represented Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress paid to keep quiet during the 2016 presidential campaign about her alleged sexual tryst with Trump several years ago.
That case catapulted Avenatti to cable television news fame, but prosecutors now say he threatened to use that platform to commit a crime. Avenatti did not immediately respond to a phone call and text message seeking comment.
Authorities charge Avenatti threatened to hold a news conference on the eve of the NCAA college basketball tournament to reveal damaging allegations against Nike unless it paid his client $1.5 million and agreed to hire Avenatti and another lawyer for $15 million to $25 million to conduct an “internal investigation” into the purported allegations. Authorities did not disclose the identities of Avenatti’s client or the other lawyer cited in the charging documents.
Full story:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.64c827e10f24
Simultaneously, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles filed separate charges accusing Avenatti of wire fraud for allegedly taking a client’s settlement money and using it to pay expenses for Avenatti’s coffee business. Avenatti allegedly concealed from the client what he had done with the money.
The charges mark the latest and most remarkable chapter in the strange public saga of the California lawyer who had represented Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress paid to keep quiet during the 2016 presidential campaign about her alleged sexual tryst with Trump several years ago.
That case catapulted Avenatti to cable television news fame, but prosecutors now say he threatened to use that platform to commit a crime. Avenatti did not immediately respond to a phone call and text message seeking comment.
Authorities charge Avenatti threatened to hold a news conference on the eve of the NCAA college basketball tournament to reveal damaging allegations against Nike unless it paid his client $1.5 million and agreed to hire Avenatti and another lawyer for $15 million to $25 million to conduct an “internal investigation” into the purported allegations. Authorities did not disclose the identities of Avenatti’s client or the other lawyer cited in the charging documents.
Full story:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.64c827e10f24