Anti-Trump Lawyer Michael Avenatti Sentenced to More Than 2 Years in Prison

Jack Phillips
By Jack Phillips
July 8, 2021US News
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Michael Avenatti was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on Thursday after he was found guilty of an extortion scheme against Nike, finalizing the downfall of Stormy Daniel’s former attorney and the erstwhile mainstream media commentator.

Avenatti, who rose to fame for his criticism of President Donald Trump, received a much lower sentence than the nine years that was at the lower end of the sentencing range suggested by federal guidelines. He also received a sentence of three years of supervised release.

“Mr. Avenatti’s conduct was outrageous,” said Judge Paul Gardephe said in U.S. District Court in Manhattan during a hearing as Avenatti wept.

“He hijacked his client’s claims,” the judge added, “and he used him to further his own agenda, which was to extort Nike millions of dollars for himself.”

Gardephe also touched on Avenatti’s notoriety in recent years as a lawyer for Trump accuser Stormy Daniels, saying he tried to exploit his power and fame during the extortion attempt.

“Mr. Avenatti had become drunk on the power of his platform, or what he perceived the power of his platform to be,” the judge remarked. But the attorney deserved a more lenient sentence because Avenatti, according to Gardephe, “has expressed what I believe to be severe remorse today.”

For Avenatti, the sentencing marks the conclusion to a tumultuous period of highs and lows that saw him publicly musing about a potential presidential bid during media interviews with CNN and MSNBC. Avenatti, who often attacked Trump on Twitter and in the media, rose to fame rapidly and became a mainstay on the two networks during the early part of the Trump administration when he represented Daniels in 2018.

Stormy Daniels and Michael Avenatti
(L to R) Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford) and Michael Avenatti, attorney for Stormy Daniels, speak to the media as they exit the United States District Court Southern District of New York for a hearing related to Michael Cohen, President Trump’s longtime personal attorney and confidante, in New York City on April 16, 2018. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

As a frequent guest on mainstream news programs to discuss his lawsuit, he logged more than 100 CNN and MSNBC appearances between March and May 2018, according to an analysis. At the same time, he gained a massive following on Twitter.

But it all came crashing down when Avenatti was arrested in early 2019 in New York City for trying to extort Nike out of $25 million, according to prosecutors at the time, who said he threatened to publicly accuse the clothing giant of illicitly paying amateur basketball players unless the firm paid him.

According to court documents, Avenatti threatened a Nike lawyer and claimed he would “take ten billion dollars off your client’s” stock market capitalization. He added, “I’m not [expletive] around with this, and I’m not continuing to play games.”

Avenatti was arrested shortly thereafter. About a year later in April 2020, he was found guilty on all three counts.

Also in 2019, a U.S. attorney in California filed a complaint accusing Avenatti of wire fraud and bank fraud, alleging that he embezzled money from a client and defrauded a Mississippi bank for submitting false tax returns. For those counts, Avenatti was charged by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana, California, for allegedly embezzling funds from NBA player Hassan Whiteside. He’s pleaded not guilty to the charges.

While in court on Thursday, a tearful Avenatti read a statement that said, “I am truly sorry for all of the pain I caused to Mr. Franklin and others.” He was referring to a client, coach Gary Franklin, who had relayed information to him about Nike’s alleged illicit payment scheme.

“I alone have destroyed my career, my relationships and my life. And there is no doubt I need to pay,” Avenatti told the judge.

From The Epoch Times

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