Attorney Michael Avenatti Arrested By Feds on Tuesday. Remember When Mainstream Media Asked Him To Run For President?
Internal Revenue agents arrested former Stormy Daniels lawyer Michale Avenatti Tuesday evening outside the State Bar Court in Lost Angeles, California, while he was attending a disciplinary hearing.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles said Avenatii was arrested for violating conditions of his pre-trial release.
Avenatti, who is scheduled to attend trial in New York for allegedly attempting to extort Nike for $20 million, was enjoying the spotlight as a Trump antagonist eighteen months ago. He posed with Stormy Daniels for celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz and was featured in Vogue, and was the topic of numerous articles in The New York Times and Vanity Fair.
Hey, remember in October when Vogue sent Annie Leibovitz to take those stylish-crusader-with-the-weight-of-the-world-on-his-shoulders glamour shots of Avenatti? Good times, good times…https://t.co/IrEHlYoCQe pic.twitter.com/HcoTY13tBK
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) May 22, 2019
In 2018, Avenatti made 254 television appearances, including 121 times in CNN and 108 times on MSNBC.
CNN’s Brian Stelter encouraged Avenatti to run for president. “And looking ahead to 2020, one reason I’m taking you seriously as a contender is because of your presence on cable news,” said Stelter.
Watch:
CNN's Brian Stelter last year on Michael Avenatti running for president: "And looking ahead to 2020, one reason I’m taking you seriously as a contender is because of your presence on cable news.” pic.twitter.com/2Wn2bX17kx
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 22, 2019
Mainstream media thought Avenatti would take down President Trump.
Watch:
As @MichaelAvenatti sits in jail, let us all remember how the media drooled over him: pic.twitter.com/GHSy79vHbh
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) January 15, 2020
On “The View” in 2018, Avenatti boldly announced, “All of my sexual fantasies involve handcuffs.” How ironic.
Watch:
Michael Avenatti has just been arrested so I figured I’d bring back the cringe video of Avenatti saying that all of his “sexual fantasies involve handcuffs.”
— Ashley StClair 🇺🇸 (@stclairashley) January 15, 2020
I’m glad he enjoys handcuffs since he’ll be in them a while! pic.twitter.com/VUU9Sh8NaK
Avenatti has been accused of altering a document to scam $840,000 from his client, Gregory Barela. Avenatti allegedly kept most of the cash and still owes Barela $710,000, reported Fox News.
He is also being accused of hiding a settlement of a $4 million from a paraplegic.
Last May, additional charges were filed against Avenatti, this time alleging he stole Stormy Daniels identity to receive a $300,000 book advance.
As he was being taken away by federal agents on Tuesday evening, Avenatti told reporters he is “completely innocent.”