Michael Avenatti Gets Two Conspiracy Charges Dropped, Feds Add Fraud Charge
Anyone else having trouble keeping up with all the indictments and allegations against Avenatti?
In March, the Southern District of New York (SDNY) charged lawyer Michael Avenatti with trying to extort over $20 million from Nike.
The feds changed the indictment by dropping two conspiracy charges but added a wire fraud charge.
The original complaint stated that Avenatti and his co-conspirator met with Nike’s attorneys where they “threatened to release damaging information” if Nike “did not agree to make multi-million dollar payments to them, as well as an additional $1.5 million payment to a client Avenatti claimed to represent.”
Avenatti pleaded not guilty. He claimed he did not tell Nike he would release “dirty dealings by Nike in college athletics if he wasn’t paid up to $25 million.”
The lawyer celebrated the news on Twitter.
I am extremely pleased that the two counts alleging I engaged in a conspiracy against Nike have just been dismissed by Trump’s DOJ. I expect to be fully exonerated when it is all said and done.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) November 13, 2019
I guess he forgot that he still faces charges, including the new one.
Not to mention the fact that a federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted Avenatti with 36 counts that include “fraud, perjury, failure to pay taxes, embezzlement and other financial crimes.”
The DOJ wrote in its press release that Avenatti faces 10 counts of wire fraud, 19 tax-related charges, two counts of bank fraud, and four bankruptcy fraud charges, and embezzlement charges.
Avenatti also faces charges in New York over porn star Stormy Daniels:
Federal prosecutors in New York City say Avenatti used a doctored document to divert about $300,000 that Daniels was supposed to get from a book deal, then used the money for personal and business expenses. Only half of that money was paid back, prosecutors said.
Daniels isn’t named in the court filing, but the details of the case, including the date her book was released, make it clear that she is the client involved.
Anyone else having trouble keeping up with all the indictments and allegations against Avenatti?
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Comments
Well, let’s hope the brand name Avenantti soon becomes associated with a brand of prison clothes.
Is there any sort of explanation on why the DoJ dropped the conspiracy charges?
I suspect that the Conspiracy charges were simply placeholder charges, until they got something stronger to put in their place. The grand jury has now given that to them, so the relatively weak conspiracy charges now serve no purpose.
Avenatti is paying the price for undermining the Democrat Kavanaugh hit job with Julie Swetnick. Unauthorized interferance with a sanctioned hit job
Oh, it was a welcomed contribution until the world got to see how insanely ridiculous it was.
Anyone else having trouble keeping up with all the indictments and allegations against Avenatti?
I don’t bother. They can slather on charges ’til the cows come home. Until he’s convicted and incarcerated, they’ve accomplished nothing useful. Let’s see some goddamn results for a change.
I believe the biggest trial is the one scheduled for next May, in L.A., and I believe he’s going to end up with 20 – 30 years in Federal Prison from that trial alone.
Agreed. Stealing from clients, especially disabled clients, is frowned on even in California. Avenatti might have beaten the rap if he’d stolen from one client, but according to the feds he made a practice of it.
Just imagine! If he’d been nominated/elected Democrat POTUS, all of these would be okay! Nothing to see here! Move along!
Or… It’s a Russian plot by the GOP to overthrow a legally elected president!
If they actually charged this idiot with everything they should the Judge would have to learn Auctioneer Cant to read off all the charges.
I Can’t wait till he enters the presidential race 🙂 He’ll fit right in with the rest
Could not have happened to a more ideal candidate.
This is great news for Avenatti, now he may only have to go to prison for two decades.
I loved it when the the New York Times tried to revive the Kavanaugh witch hunt, and in doing so completely airbrushed Avenatti out of the narrative.
This is joy behar’s hero.
Hopefully the more dollars we spend on this snake ultimately results in more years spent behind bars!