Michael Avenatti Found Guilty of Stealing From Stormy Daniels
Michael Avenatti, the former lawyer best known for his representation of Stormy Daniels, was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on Friday, marking a stunning fall from grace for the former mainstream media commentator.
Prosecutors accused Avenatti of defrauding Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Gregory Clifford, by telling her agent to send two installments of a $300,000 advance payment for her 2018 book to a bank account controlled by him, rather than directly to her, without her knowledge.
Avenatti told reporters outside a federal courthouse in Manhattan on Friday that he is “very disappointed” with the verdict. His sentencing is scheduled for May 24.
“I’m very disappointed in the jury’s verdict. I look forward to a full adjudication of all of the issues on appeal,” Avenatti told CNN, a media outlet that frequently had him as a guest during the Trump era.
Clark Brewster, who represents Clifford, told Fox News that she is “relieved this nightmare is over.”
“The text communications between [Clifford] and Mr. Avenatti in real time was overwhelming proof of his deceit and embezzlement. The forgery of her name and his concealed directive to wire the money to him was irrefutable,” Brewster added. “Still, Mr. Avenatti possessed the uncanny ability to steadfastly deny the crimes and persuade others he was entitled to the embezzled funds. Stormy is pleased that the justice system worked.”
