A New York judge refused to drop charges of extortion levied against former Stormy Daniels lawyer and vocal Trump critic Michael Avenatti on Wednesday.
Avenatti, 48, was charged by federal prosecutors in early 2019 for attempting to extort between $15 million and $22.5 million from Nike. Additionally, he was charged with stealing $300,000 from his former client Stormy Daniels, a Trump critic and pornography actress. Though Avenatti faces mounting legal battles, he has denied the charges over Twitter:
“I want to thank all of my supporters for your kind words and support today. It means a lot to me. I am anxious for people to see what really happened. We never attempted to extort Nike & when the evidence is disclosed, the public will learn the truth about Nike’s crime & coverup,” said Avenatti in an early morning 2019 tweet.
I want to thank all of my supporters for your kind words and support today. It means a lot to me. I am anxious for people to see what really happened. We never attempted to extort Nike & when the evidence is disclosed, the public will learn the truth about Nike’s crime & coverup.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) March 26, 2019
Avenatti also claimed that he was being targeted with a “vindictive” prosecution because of former challenges to President Trump. However, U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe objected to Avenatti’s claim, finding no malicious intent to indict the lawyer. “Avenatti is being prosecuted for activities wholly unrelated to the political arena,” wrote the judge.
The judge’s decision follows news that Avenatti was arrested by federal agents Tuesday evening during a disciplinary hearing. During the hearing, the California State Bar argued that Avenatti poses a “threat of substantial harm to the public” as a lawyer, asking a judge to forbid him from further practice.
