Mary Altaffer/AP
- Adult film actress Stormy Daniels said she was "not shocked" that her former attorney, Michael Avenatti, was charged with bank fraud, wire fraud, and extortion on Monday.
- Daniels said she terminated Avenatti more than a month ago after discovering that he had been "extremely" dishonest in his dealings with her.
- She suggested more information will emerge regarding the celebrity lawyer’s alleged wrongdoing.
- Federal prosecutors in New York filed charging documents on Monday alleging Avenatti attempted to extort more than $20 million from Nike.
- Avenatti also faces federal charges of wire fraud and bank fraud in the Central District of California.
Adult film actress Stormy Daniels said on Monday she was "not shocked" that her former attorney, Michael Avenatti, was arrested and charged with bank fraud, wire fraud, and extortion. Daniels also suggested more information will emerge regarding the alleged wrongdoing.
"Knowing what I know now about Michael Avenatti, I am saddened but not shocked by news reports that he has been criminally charged today," Daniels tweeted on Monday afternoon.
Daniels announced on March 12 that she had cut ties with Avenatti, who represented her in multiple lawsuits against President Donald Trump.
Daniels, who says she had an affair with Trump more than a decade ago, said Avenatti had been "extremely dishonest" in his dealings with her.
"I made the decision more than a month ago to terminate Michael’s services after discovering that he had dealt with me extremely dishonestly and there will be more announcements to come," she wrote.
Avenatti released his own statement earlier this month claiming that he had dropped Daniels, but didn’t disclose any details.
Federal prosecutors in New York filed charging documents on Monday alleging that Avenatti attempted to extort more than $20 million from Nike.
Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York alleged in the documents that Avenatti "threaten[ed] to use his ability to garner publicity to inflict substantial financial & reputational harm on the company if his demands were not met."
Avenatti now also faces federal charges of wire fraud and bank fraud in the Central District of California. According to California prosecutors, Avenatti allegedly embezzled a client’s money to pay off his personal and professional expenses. Prosecutors also accuse Avenatti of fraudulently obtaining loans from a Mississippi bank by submitting false tax returns, according to the Los Angeles Times.
News of Avenatti’s indictment came just after he posted a tweet saying that he would be holding a press conference Tuesday to "disclose a major high school/college basketball scandal perpetrated by @Nike that we have uncovered. This criminal conduct reaches the highest levels of Nike and involves some of the biggest names in college basketball."
Sonam Sheth contributed to this report.
See Also:
- Meet Michael Avenatti, the former professional sports car driver who represented Stormy Daniels and was just charged for attempting to extort more than $20 million from Nike
- Michael Avenatti charged over attempted extortion of Nike, bank fraud, and wire fraud in 2 criminal investigations
- 22 celebrities, professional athletes, and politicians Trump has golfed with as president
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Eliza Relman)