Supreme Court Hands Disgraced Attorney Michael Avenatti a Painful Loss
The U.S. Supreme Court declined an appeal from former lawyer Michael Avenatti on Tuesday, marking his final effort to overturn his 2020 Nike extortion conviction unsuccessful.
The once prominent figure in the media landscape, previously considered a potential Democratic Party presidential candidate, had previously lost an appeal of his conviction when a lower court affirmed the justice of his sentencing to two and a half years in prison for the scheme.
Avenatti, once the legal counsel for former adult film actress Stormy Daniels, pursued the case to Washington. However, eight out of the nine justices of the Supreme Court chose to uphold the conviction.
According to NBC News, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh abstained from the decision and did not contribute to the outcome.
Kavanaugh had previously faced allegations of sexual misconduct during his confirmation process, with Avenatti representing one of his accusers.
Despite lacking merit, Avenatti at one point defended contradictory statements about the allegations against Kavanaugh during the public hearings.
Avenatti is slated to serve his sentence in the Nike extortion and fraud case and will subsequently face over a decade in prison following a 2022 court ruling that found him guilty of embezzling millions from clients and deceiving Daniels.
In 2019, a high school basketball coach, represented by Avenatti, accused Nike of engaging in illegal payments to youth athletes.
Facing financial difficulties at the time, Avenatti demanded Nike pay his client $1.5 million and himself $22.5 million to retain his legal services and keep the allegations under wraps.
The U.S. Justice Department stated that during discussions about holding a press conference regarding the allegations on the eve of a Nike earnings call, Avenatti informed company executives that he would desist if compensated for his silence.
Avenatti refuted allegations of attempted fraud and extortion against the company, but he was ultimately convicted by a jury.
"Michael Avenatti used illegal and coercive threats and betrayed one of his clients in his pursuit of obtaining millions of dollars for himself," remarked Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss when Avenatti's scheme was uncovered, leading to his imprisonment.
Strauss further commented, "Not only did Avenatti attempt to exploit his legal license and fame to extort payments for himself, but he also deceived his own client. Avenatti will now face significant prison time for his criminal actions."
In the run-up to the 2020 election, Avenatti not only represented Daniels but also frequently appeared as a political commentator on CNN and other networks. He was often invited to provide provocative commentary on then-President Donald Trump.
By mid-2019, Avenatti had expressed interest in running against Trump in 2020, a prospect heavily promoted by CNN.
However, his legal troubles ultimately led him to a prison cell rather than the Oval Office.
Newsbusters revealed that following Avenatti's legal issues, he made 254 appearances on broadcast, cable news, and late-night shows in a single year, with over 120 of those appearances on CNN.