Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Michael Avenatti convicted of stealing from porn star Stormy Daniels

Michael Avenatti convicted of stealing from porn star Stormy Daniels

Avenatti was convicted on charges he cheated Daniels out of nearly US$300,000 she was supposed to get for writing a book about an alleged tryst with former US president Donald Trump.

Michael Avenatti was convicted on Friday of charges he cheated the porn actor Stormy Daniels out of nearly US$300,000 she was supposed to get for writing a book about an alleged tryst with former US president Donald Trump.

Avenatti stared straight ahead as the verdict was read. It was another crushing defeat for the California lawyer, who has faced a host of legal problems after briefly rising to fame as one of Trump’s leading antagonists on cable news early in the Republican’s administration.

Avenatti fired his lawyers and decided to represent himself soon after the trial began, setting up a face-to-face showdown with Daniels, his former client, who appeared in a new role as star witness.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti arrives at Federal court in Manhattan, New York on January 24.


Prosecutors portrayed Avenatti as a common thief and serial liar. He countered by seeking to cast himself as a white knight who came to the rescue of Daniels until he turned on her.

Over two days of cross-examination, he questioned her about the allegations that he had swindled her out of book proceeds – and about ghost stories she had told for a possible show about the supernatural world.

Avenatti still faces other legal problems.

He has yet to begin serving a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence he received in 2020 for trying to extort up to US$25 million from sportswear giant Nike.

He also is awaiting a retrial in Los Angeles on charges that he ripped off clients and others for millions of dollars. He represented himself last year for six weeks before a mistrial resulted.

Daniels had initially hired Avenatti as she was trying to escape the terms of a US$130,000 hush payment deal that kept her from speaking publicly about an alleged sexual encounter that Trump says never happened.

Avenatti parlayed his representation with Daniels into a string of cable news appearances, in which he mocked and baited Trump.

When Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with tax evasion and payments made to women on Trump’s behalf, Avenatti contributed to the spectacle by bringing Daniels to the federal courthouse.

The relationship between the two fell apart after Daniels said she learned that Avenatti had taken a share of her US$800,000 book deal for himself.

Avenatti insisted he was innocent of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

After opening statements and two trial witnesses, he shed his lawyers and confronted witnesses himself, setting up his questioning of Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford.

Avenatti asked her about things she had said for a potential programme called Spooky Babes about living in a haunted house in New Orleans.

Among other things, Daniels had talked about an invisible assailant attacking her partner and communicating with dead people and with a doll who calls her “mummy.”

Prosecutors argued that Avenatti was trying to portray Daniels as crazy – what they called a “blame the victim” defence that failed to support his claim he was owed the money after spending millions of dollars representing Daniels.

“Whether you think it’s kooky to believe in the paranormal, whether you think it’s weird. She can believe whatever she wants and still be stolen from by the defendant and still deserve not to,” Assistant US Attorney Mathew Podolsky told the jury.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti arrives at federal court in New York on February 3.


Text messages, prosecutors said, showed that Avenatti repeatedly lied to Daniels in 2018 when she pressed him on when she would get a large instalment she was owed on the book deal. They said he had already spent the money on airfare, food and payroll for his debt-ridden law firm.

Podolsky likened Avenatti to a store cashier taking US$1,000 out of a till because he believed he had worked really hard and deserved a bonus.

Avenatti argued at the conclusion of the two-week trial that the government failed to prove its case.

“I’m Italian. I like Italian food. Ladies and gentlemen, the case that the government is trying to feed you has a giant cockroach in the middle of the plate,” he told the jury. “Would you eat that dish or would you send it back? I submit that you would send it back.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Ukraine and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
×