Michael Avenatti pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to allegations that he defrauded porn star Stormy Daniels.
The embattled lawyer is accused of misappropriating funds the porn star was supposed to receive from a book deal while he represented her in a legal battle against President Trump and Michael Cohen, Trump’s former longtime attorney.
Avenatti’s bail was set at $300,000 and he was ordered to have no contact with Daniels.
Prosecutors alleged Avenatti forged Daniels’ signature on a document instructing her literary agent to divert money from the porn star to an account controlled by him, then spent the money on his own personal and business matters. He is accused of diverting nearly $300,000 to his own account.
[Read: Stormy Daniels on legal actions after Avenatti: ‘It’s about to get real f–king good’]
Avenatti said last week no money connected to Daniels was “ever misappropriated or mishandled.”
“I was entitled to any monies retained per my agreement with the client. My agreement for representation and compensation included a percentage of any book proceeds,” he said in a tweet.
