Michael Avenatti
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Michael John Avenatti (born February 16, 1971) is an American former attorney and convicted felon, best known for his legal representation and defrauding of
adult film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include erotic ...
actress
Stormy Daniels Stephanie Gregory Clifford (born March 17, 1979), known professionally as Stormy Daniels, is an American pornographic film actress and director, and former stripper. She has won numerous industry awards, and is a member of the NightMoves, AVN ...
in unsuccessful
lawsuits - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil acti ...
against then U.S. president
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
, and for his attempted extortion of sports apparel company
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that led to his conviction for several felonies. His firm had represented celebrity defendants and has filed suits against ''Fortune'' 500 companies. Avenatti has appeared extensively on television and in print as a legal and political commentator, and as a representative for prominent clients. Before
Supreme Court Justice The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme ...
Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael Kavanaugh ( ; born February 12, 1965) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018, and has served since O ...
was confirmed, Avenatti introduced a written declaration in September 2018 accusing Kavanaugh of spiking drinks at parties when he was in high school. The accuser, Julie Swetnick, later repudiated the declaration in an interview with
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's v ...
, claiming Avenatti had misrepresented her allegations.
Chuck Grassley Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, and the senior United States senator from Iowa, having held the seat since 1981. In 2022, h ...
referred Avenatti and Swetnick to the
Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
for criminal investigation. Beginning in March 2019, Avenatti was indicted in California and New York on different federal criminal counts including tax evasion, extortion, fraud, and embezzlement. On February 14, 2020, Avenatti was convicted of all charges against him in the New York court. He has been ineligible to practice law in California since May 4, 2020. On July 8, 2021, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison. The second of four federal criminal trials involving Avenatti began on July 21, 2021 in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
with Avenatti defending himself. He was found guilty of
wire fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to defraud another, and are federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the federal government if the illegal activity ...
and aggravated identity theft. On June 2, 2022, he was sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding Daniels. On December 5, 2022, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for wire fraud and obstruction against the
Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory t ...
.


Early life and education

Avenatti was born on February 16, 1971 in
Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
, and spent his early childhood in
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
and
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
. His father was a manager for
Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ( AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple ...
. He moved with his family to
Chesterfield, Missouri Chesterfield is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is a western suburb of St. Louis. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,999, . The broader valley of Chesterfield was originally referred to as "Gumbo Flats", deriv ...
, a suburb of
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, in 1982, where he attended
Parkway Central High School Parkway Central High School is a public high school in Chesterfield, Missouri that is part of the Parkway School District. History Five elementary school districts merged to form the Parkway Consolidated School District. The name for the distric ...
. After graduating in 1989, Avenatti attended
Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, ...
for one year before transferring to the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...
, where he graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
in
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...
in 1996. While in college, he worked as an opposition researcher for
Rahm Emanuel Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to Japan. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served two terms as the 55th Mayor of Chicago from 2011 ...
's political consulting firm. After college, Avenatti attended the
George Washington University Law School The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest top law school in the national capital. GW Law offers the largest range of co ...
. His application was initially wait-listed, and he was eventually admitted to its evening school program. While a law student, Avenatti worked with Professor
Jonathan Turley Jonathan Turley is an American attorney, legal scholar, writer, commentator, and legal analyst in broadcast and print journalism. A professor at George Washington University Law School, he has testified in United States Congressional proceedin ...
on constitutional issues relating to the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ("FISA" , ) is a United States federal law that establishes procedures for the physical and electronic surveillance and the collection of "foreign intelligence information" between "foreign pow ...
(FISA). Avenatti graduated in 2000 and ranked first in his class with a
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
with high honors and
Order of the Coif The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, ...
membership. In 2003, the George Washington Law School established the Michael J. Avenatti Award for Excellence in Pre-Trial and Trial Advocacy after Avenatti made five-figure donations to the school. The annual award is given to the member of the graduating
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
class who demonstrates excellence in
pre-trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal ...
and trial advocacy. Avenatti was awarded GW's Alumni Recognition Award in 2010.


Career

In college and later in law school, Avenatti worked at The Research Group, a political
opposition research In politics, opposition research (also called oppo research) is the practice of collecting information on a political opponent or other adversary that can be used to discredit or otherwise weaken them. The information can include biographical, le ...
and media firm run by
Rahm Emanuel Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to Japan. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served two terms as the 55th Mayor of Chicago from 2011 ...
(later White House Chief of Staff for President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, and
Mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and ...
). Avenatti worked on over 150 Democratic and Republican campaigns in 42 states while studying at George Washington University. After law school, Avenatti worked at
O'Melveny & Myers O'Melveny & Myers LLP is an American multinational corporation, multinational law firm founded in Los Angeles, California in 1885. The firm employs approximately 740 lawyers and has offices in California, Washington, D.C., New York City, Beijing ...
in Los Angeles, California, alongside Daniel M. Petrocelli, who previously represented the
Ron Goldman Ronald Lyle Goldman (July 2, 1968 – June 12, 1994) was an American restaurant waiter and a friend of Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of the American football player O.J. Simpson. He was murdered, along with Brown, at her home in Los Angeles ...
family in its case against O. J. Simpson. He assisted Petrocelli on multiple legal matters, including the representation of singer
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
and litigation surrounding the movie '' K-19: The Widowmaker'', and worked extensively for
Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as " Witchy Woman", "Des ...
and
Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American singer, guitarist and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. Frey was the co-lead singer and frontman for the Eagles, roles he came to share with fellow member Don H ...
of the musical group
the Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s ...
, including in a suit brought by former bandmate
Don Felder Donald William Felder (born September 21, 1947) is an American musician who was the lead guitarist of the rock band Eagles from 1974 until his termination from the band in 2001. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 with th ...
against the group and
Irving Azoff Irving Azoff (; born December 12, 1947) is an American entertainment executive and chairman of Full Stop Management, which represents recording artists. In the mid-1980s, he brought success to MCA Records. Since September 2013, he has been cha ...
. Avenatti later joined Greene Broillet & Wheeler, a Los Angeles
boutique law firm A boutique law firm is a collection of attorneys typically organized in a limited liability partnership or professional corporation specializing in a niche area of law practice. Although a general practice law firm includes a variety of unrelated ...
. While there, he handled a number of high-profile cases, including a $10 million defamation case against
Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conrad ...
which was settled out of court, settled an idea-theft lawsuit relating to the show ''
The Apprentice ''The Apprentice'' is a reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States. Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with various professional backg ...
'' and against producers
Mark Burnett Mark Burnett (born 17 July 1960) is a television producer who is the former Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group. He is best known for creating and producing the reality shows ''The Apprentice'', '' Survivor'', ''The Voice'', and ''Sh ...
and
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
, and a $40 million embezzlement lawsuit involving
KPMG KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...
. In 2007, Avenatti formed the law firm Eagan Avenatti, LLP (formerly known as Eagan O'Malley & Avenatti, LLP) with offices in
Newport Beach Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island draws ...
, Los Angeles, and
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
, all in California. The firm launched many high-profile lawsuits, including one over allegedly defective hospital gowns. He appeared on ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique st ...
'' three times in connection with cases he has handled. Avenatti has also served as lead counsel on a number of historically large cases, including an April 2017 $454 million verdict after a jury trial in Federal Court in Los Angeles in a fraud case against
Kimberly-Clark Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimberly-Clark brand ...
and
Halyard Health Halyard, formerly Kimberly-Clark Health Care, now part of Owens & Minor, sells sterilization wrap, facial protection, gloves, protective apparel, surgical drapes and gowns in more than 100 countries. History On March 26, 1872, Kimberly, Clark & ...
, later reduced to a $21.7 million verdict upon appeal, an $80.5 million class-action settlement against
Service Corporation International Service Corporation International is an American provider of funeral goods and services as well as cemetery property and services. It is headquartered in Neartown, Houston, Texas, and operates secondary corporate offices in Jefferson (New Orl ...
, and a $41 million jury verdict against
KPMG KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...
. In 2013, Avenatti formed a company, Global Baristas, to buy
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
-based
Tully's Coffee Tully's Coffee is an American specialty coffee manufacturing brand owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, which acquired the Tully's brand and wholesale business in 2009. At the time of the Keurig wholesale acquisition, the "Tully's" name and retail-store r ...
out of
bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
cy. Avenatti first formed a partnership with actor Patrick Dempsey, but Dempsey later backed away from the venture after a short legal battle that resulted in a settlement. Since 2015, Global Baristas has been named in more than 50 lawsuits in state and federal courts for breach of contract, unpaid bills, and unpaid taxes. In 2015, Avenatti prevailed against the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL) following a jury trial in
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
. He later pursued a class-action suit on behalf of fans who showed up for
Super Bowl XLV Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
with tickets that didn't correspond to actual seats, but the courts in Texas declined to certify the class. In 2016, Avenatti filed another class action lawsuit against the NFL, this time on behalf of ticket-holders to the annual Hall of Fame Game, which was canceled a few hours before kickoff. In 2017, Gerald Tobin alleged Avenatti failed to pay him $28,700 for private investigatory work. As a result, Avenatti's firm was abruptly forced into bankruptcy. Tobin, a Floridian with four decades of convictions and jail time, was not a licensed investigator. Tobin's claim forced Avenatti to cancel a deposition in an unrelated lawsuit days later, raising the question of collusion between Avenatti and Tobin. The issue was resolved when the pair entered a
non-disclosure agreement A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wis ...
, and Avenatti paid Tobin the $28,700. In 2018, Avenatti's law firm was subjected to a $10 million judgment in a U.S. bankruptcy court. Avenatti has also defaulted on a $440,000 verdict in back taxes, penalties, and interest that he was personally obligated to pay under another bankruptcy settlement. The U.S. Attorney's office asserted in court that a motion seeking payment would soon be filed against Avenatti. Eagan Avenatti had been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and, in December 2017, had agreed to pay $4.8 million in unpaid fees to a former partner, $2 million in back taxes, and $1 million to other creditors. In June 2018, the former partner filed a motion in U.S. bankruptcy court asking for a lien on any and all legal fees Avenatti's firm might collect, up to $10 million, from clients in 54 cases including his representation of Stormy Daniels. In November 2018, a few days after his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, Avenatti's law firm was evicted from its office in Newport Beach after skipping $213,000 worth of rent payments. In January 2019, a former client filed an arbitration against Avenatti, alleging misuse of settlement funds Eagan Avenatti LLP had received in trust. On June 3, 2019, the California State Bar filed a 573-page petition to enroll Avenatti in involuntary inactive status pending the outcome of the criminal cases and the disciplinary action which will be filed against him. The primary basis for the action was Avenatti's alleged embezzlement of $1,600,000 in funds from client Greg Barela.


Racing

Since 2010, Avenatti has driven in approximately 33 sportscar races, including various
American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The American Le Mans' h ...
,
FIA World Endurance Championship The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Intercont ...
,
Porsche Supercup The Porsche Supercup (officially known as Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, known as Porsche Michelin Supercup prior to 2007) is an international one-make sports car racing series supporting the FIA Formula One World Championship organized by Porsche ...
, and United SportsCar Championship races in the United States and Europe. These races have included the
24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layo ...
,
12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second rou ...
,
2012 Petit Le Mans The 15h Annual Petit Le Mans was an endurance auto race held at the Road Atlanta circuit in Braselton, Georgia on October 20, 2012. The race served as the final round of both the American Le Mans Series and European Le Mans Series seasons. Nico ...
, and the
Long Beach Grand Prix The Grand Prix of Long Beach (known as Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach since 2019 for naming rights reasons) is an IndyCar Series race held on a street circuit in downtown Long Beach, California. Christopher Pook is the founder of the event. It w ...
. Avenatti had been planning to race the
2013 24 Hours of Le Mans The 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: ''81e 24 Heures du Mans'') was a 24-hour automobile endurance racing event for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 19 to 23 June 2013 at the Circuit de la Sarthe close ...
, but replaced himself with
Patrick Long __NOTOC__ Patrick Long (born July 28, 1981) is a professional racing driver, one of 18 Porsche factory racing drivers, and the only American to hold that distinction. Racing career Sports car racing Following a successful career in karts and th ...
a few weeks before the event because scheduling conflicts had arisen with his other business interests. At the
2015 24 Hours of Le Mans The 83rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 83e 24 Heures du Mans) was an 24-hour automobile endurance event for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 10 to 14 June 2015 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, close ...
, Avenatti teamed up with Saudi Prince
Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud (born 4 June 1983), also known as Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, is a former Saudi racing driver and businessman as well as a member of the House of Saud. Prince Abdulaziz is the minister of sports appointed by King S ...
and Polish driver Jakub "Kuba" Giermaziak in the No. 66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia. The team placed seventh in its class. ; 24 Hours of Le Mans results


Pepsi Points case

Prior to the 1999 resolution of the '' Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc.'' lawsuit, Avenatti – then a law student – was hired by plaintiff John Leonard as a media relations consultant. Avenatti assisted Leonard in developing relationships and gaining interviews with
earned media Earned media (or free media) refers to publicity gained through promotional efforts other than advertising ( paid media) or branding (owned media). Background There are many types of media available to online marketers and fit into the broad ca ...
in order to sway public opinion. The two became close friends. At one stage, Leonard and Avenatti embarked on a road trip to
Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...
– financed by the former's business partner, Todd Hoffman – in order to meet Victor Miller, who had allegedly given Pepsi
right of first refusal Right of first refusal (ROFR or RFR) is a contractual right that gives its holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something, according to specified terms, before the owner is entitled to enter into that transactio ...
for his privately-owned Harrier jet. Through his research, Avenatti discovered that the
Pepsi Stuff Pepsi Stuff was a major loyalty program launched by PepsiCo, first in North America on March 28, 1996 and then around the world, featuring premiums — such as T-shirts, hats, denim and leather jackets, bags, and mountain bikes — that could b ...
commercial aired in Canada – also displaying a supposedly redeemable
Harrier jump jet The Harrier, informally referred to as the Harrier jump jet, is a family of jet-powered attack aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing operations (V/STOL). Named after a bird of prey, it was originally developed by British ma ...
– included a disclaimer stating that the offer was in jest. He also unearthed information relating to the 1992 Pepsi Number Fever disaster in the Philippines, as the result of a failed Pepsi marketing campaign. Avenatti eventually left the team over disagreement with his
methods Method ( grc, μέθοδος, methodos) literally means a pursuit of knowledge, investigation, mode of prosecuting such inquiry, or system. In recent centuries it more often means a prescribed process for completing a task. It may refer to: *Scien ...
. Avenatti appeared in the 2022 Netflix docuseries '' Pepsi, Where's My Jet?'', recounting his role in Leonard's defense; his interviews were filmed under house arrest.


Stormy Daniels lawsuits

In March 2018, Avenatti filed a lawsuit on behalf of adult film actress
Stormy Daniels Stephanie Gregory Clifford (born March 17, 1979), known professionally as Stormy Daniels, is an American pornographic film actress and director, and former stripper. She has won numerous industry awards, and is a member of the NightMoves, AVN ...
seeking to invalidate a 2016 non-disclosure agreement regarding an alleged affair with Donald Trump in 2006, claiming that Daniels had been paid off by Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen not to disclose information covered by the NDA. The
non-disclosure agreement A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wis ...
had been negotiated in the final days of the
2016 U.S. Presidential campaign The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial United States presidential election, presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican Party (United States), Republican ticket of businessman Donald ...
. Avenatti also represented Daniels in a related defamation suit against Trump. In October 2018, a federal judge dismissed the defamation lawsuit and ordered Daniels to pay Trump's legal fees. Avenatti said he would appeal that decision; Daniels later said that Avenatti had initiated the suit against her wishes. Avenatti was a frequent guest on talk shows and cable news programs to discuss the cases, logging 108 CNN and
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
appearances between March 7 and May 10, 2018. He also gained a large following on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
; he ended his tweets about the case and other Trump-related matters with the Twitter
hashtag A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...
"#basta" – the Italian word for "enough." In May 2018, Avenatti released records showing multiple large payments, some from major corporations, into the bank account Cohen had used to pay Daniels. Cohen's lawyers subsequently argued that some of the transactions released by Avenatti involved a different Michael Cohen, but they did not dispute the larger deposits. The US Treasury Department opened an investigation into how Avenatti gained information from Cohen's private bank records. Avenatti had also filed a motion to join the federal investigation of Michael Cohen. The federal judge issued Avenatti "a choice" that if he wanted to join, he would have to end what the judge called his "publicity tour" of TV appearances and tweets about the case. Avenatti withdrew the motion, and appeared on MSNBC that same day. In early March 2019, Daniels terminated her arrangement with Avenatti, replacing him with attorney Clark Brewster. Later that month, when federal charges against Avenatti were announced, she said, "Knowing what I know now about Michael, I’m saddened but not shocked regarding his arrest." Avenatti faces New York charges of wire fraud, identity theft, and embezzling almost $300,000 from Daniels. On June 2, 2022, Avenatti was sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding Daniels.


Immigration

Avenatti provided a video to
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
, which aired on the June 25, 2018, episode of ''
The Rachel Maddow Show ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' (also abbreviated ''TRMS'') is an American liberal news and opinion television program that airs on MSNBC, running in the 9:00 pm ET timeslot Monday evenings. It is hosted by Rachel Maddow, who gained a public p ...
'', a "secretly shot" video of a child in the custody of immigration officials who was separated from her mother. The video was leaked by a former employee whom Avenatti represented. The leaked video was part of the response to the
Trump administration family separation policy The United States family separation policy under the Trump administration was presented to the public as a "zero tolerance" approach intended to deter illegal immigration and to encourage tougher legislation. In some cases, families followi ...
.


Julie Swetnick allegations

In September 2018, as the nomination of
Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael Kavanaugh ( ; born February 12, 1965) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018, and has served since O ...
to the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
was being evaluated in the Senate, two women accused him of inappropriate sexual conduct while in high school or college. Avenatti then announced that he had a client who made additional allegations against Kavanaugh as both a witness and a victim of his inappropriate behavior and that she would soon come forward publicly. On September 25, the woman was publicly identified by Avenatti as Julie Swetnick, a resident of Washington, D.C. and a 1980 graduate of
Gaithersburg High School Gaithersburg High School (GHS) is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Part of Montgomery County Public Schools, the school was founded in 1904 as "Gaithersburg School" and offered grades K-12. Since 2013, the school resides at 101 Education Blvd a ...
in Maryland. Swetnick claimed, in an unnotarized
declaration Declaration may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Declaration'' (book), a self-published electronic pamphlet by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri * ''The Declaration'' (novel), a 2008 children's novel by Gemma Malley Music ...
, signed under penalty of perjury, that Kavanaugh, as a high school student in the early 1980s, drank excessively and engaged in physically aggressive behavior toward girls. She said he was present at parties where girls were drugged and gang-raped and that he participated in those activities. Swetnick also claimed she was gang-raped at a party where Kavanaugh was present, although he did not personally participate in the attack. Kavanaugh retorted, "I don't know who this is and this never happened." On September 26, Democrats on the Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Chairman Grassley requesting " light of shocking new allegations detailed by Julie Swetnick" that the vote be immediately canceled and that Grassley should support either the reopening of the FBI investigation or the withdrawal of Kavanaugh's nomination. In an NBC interview, Swetnick provided the names of four people she alleged were friends who had gone to the parties with her – however, one is deceased and another claimed not to know her. Avenatti announced that he had a sworn declaration by another woman corroborating Swetnick's accusations. Subsequently, NBC News reported that the unnamed declarant told them on September 30 (before Michael Avenatti released her sworn statement on October 3 with her name redacted) that she never thought it was Kavanaugh spiking the punch and that she never witnessed him act inappropriately towards girls. In a text to NBC News on October 4, the unnamed accuser reiterated, "It is incorrect that I saw Brett spike the punch. I didn't see anyone spike the punch...I was very clear with Avenatti from day one," adding that she would never allow anyone to be abusive towards males or females in her presence. She also expressed that she had only given her sworn declaration a cursory look. The response to NBC News by Avenatti was that she read, signed, and repeatedly stood behind the sworn declaration. The unnamed declarant contacted NBC News on October 5 and reiterated her denial of ever seeing Kavanaugh spike punch or act inappropriately toward women, and charged Avenatti with twisting her words. Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a margin of 50–48, mostly along party lines. Democrat
Joe Manchin Joseph Manchin III (born August 24, 1947) is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from West Virginia, a seat he has held since 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, Manchin was the 34th governor o ...
(WV) voted for Kavanaugh, while Republican
Steve Daines Steven David Daines ( ; born August 20, 1962) is an American politician and former corporate executive serving as the junior United States senator for Montana since 2015. A Republican, he served as the U.S. representative for Montana's at-lar ...
(MT) was not present to vote. Republican
Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann Murkowski ( ; born May 22, 1957) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator for Alaska, having held that seat since 2002. Murkowski is the second-most senior Republican woman in the Senate, after S ...
(AK) voted present. Democratic Senators blamed Avenatti as the Swetnick accusation "gave Republicans an opportunity to shift the narrative away from Ford's allegations and make a broader case that the growing accusations of sexual misconduct amounted to an orchestrated Democratic smear campaign". Senator
Susan Collins Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maine. A member of the Republican Party, she has held her seat since 1997 and is Maine's longest-serving member of Con ...
, a Republican swing vote, called the Swetnick allegation "outlandish... ithoutany credible supporting evidence", and ended up supporting Kavanaugh's nomination. Senator
Gary Peters Gary Charles Peters Sr. (born December 1, 1958) is an American lawyer, politician, and former military officer serving as the junior United States senator from Michigan since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representa ...
said that Avenatti's allegations "turns icit into a circus atmosphere and certainly that's not where we should be", while another Senate aide said that "Democrats and the country would have been better off if Mr. Avenatti spent his time on his Iowa vanity project rather than meddling in Supreme Court fights". Avenatti fired back, criticizing anonymous Democrats as "cowards", arguing that this showed "failed leadership" in the Democratic Party. Senate Judiciary Chairman
Chuck Grassley Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, and the senior United States senator from Iowa, having held the seat since 1981. In 2022, h ...
referred Avenatti and Swetnick to the
Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
for a possible criminal investigation over allegations they made false statements to Congress about now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Avenatti called the referral "completely baseless."


Representation of R Kelly accusers

In February 2019, Avenatti provided Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office with a tape of R. Kelly having sex with an underage girl, which he received from a whistleblower whom he was representing.The video would later be used in a criminal trial against Kelly.  In March 2019, Avenatti represented six different people with links to Kelly including two alleged victims, two whistleblowers, and two parents of the victims. Avenatti accused Kelly of violating the terms of his bail release, but Avenatti's comments led to no legal trouble for Kelly. Avenatti also criticized Kelly's interview with
Gayle King Gayle King (born December 28, 1954) is an American television personality, author and broadcast journalist for CBS News, co-hosting its flagship morning program, '' CBS Mornings'', and before that its predecessor ''CBS This Morning''. She is ...
in a series of tweets.


Potential 2020 presidential campaign

Avenatti expressed interest in running for President of the United States in 2020; he started a political action committee, and held his first fundraiser at the Democratic Wing Ding in August. In September 2018, Avenatti said he would run in 2020 only against Trump or Pence. On November 1, 2018, Avenatti released his first political ad, which urged Americans to vote on November 6, 2018; ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' ranked him a top 15 contender. On December 4, 2018, Avenatti announced that he would not be a candidate for president of the United States in 2020. In a Twitter post, he announced, "I do not make this decision lightly – I make it out of respect for my family."


Arrests and charges


Domestic violence complaint but not charged

In November 2018, Avenatti was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. The
Los Angeles Police Department The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-lar ...
(LAPD) later confirmed Avenatti was arrested for felony domestic violence and his bail was set at $50,000. An LAPD spokesperson said that the unidentified victim, at the time, later described as his girlfriend, had "visible injuries" and that the case would be referred to the
Los Angeles County District Attorney The District Attorney of Los Angeles County is in charge of the office that prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within Los Angeles County, California, United States. The current district attorney (DA) is George Gascón. Some ...
for prosecution. Minutes after the reports of Avenatti's arrest, the Twitter account of Surefire Intelligence, a company created by the
far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
conspiracy theorist A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...
Jacob Wohl Jacob Alexander Wohl (born December 12, 1997) is an American far-right conspiracy theorist, fraudster, and convicted felon. Wohl, and conservative lobbyist and conspiracy theorist Jack Burkman, have been responsible for multiple unsuccessful pl ...
, seemingly claimed responsibility for the arrest, tweeting a news story about it and adding "Surefire Intelligence strikes again." Later in November, actress Mareli Miniutti's name was released as the woman alleging domestic violence. The filing stated that Miniutti and Avenatti had been residing together, and alleged that they had gotten into an argument over money before Avenatti hit her in the face with pillows and dragged her across their apartment floor. Avenatti called the allegations "completely bogus" and "fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation." Both of his ex-wives issued statements that Avenatti had never been violent toward either of them. The county district attorney declined to press charges, and referred the case to the city attorney for possible misdemeanor charges. On February 1, 2019, the city attorney's office announced that their investigation was complete, and that Avenatti would not be charged.


Extortion conviction and sentencing

Avenatti's
settlement Settlement may refer to: * Human settlement, a community where people live *Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building *Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction *Settlement (fin ...
offers in his suit against Nike became so overly aggressive that the prosecutors of his case contended that he was engaging in extortion. Nike had agreed to pay a coach
damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognised at ...
to settle a case; however, Avenatti concealed this from the coach because Nike‘s offer didn't include
attorney's fee Attorney's fee is a chiefly United States term for compensation for legal services performed by an attorney ( lawyer or law firm) for a client, in or out of court. It may be an hourly, flat-rate or contingent fee. Recent studies suggest that whe ...
s. On March 25, 2019, Avenatti was arrested in New York City, and federal prosecutors in the
Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York State. Two of these are in New York City: New ...
announced that they were charging Avenatti with attempting to
extort Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, al ...
up to $25 million from U.S. athletic apparel and shoe company
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
by threatening to make damaging charges against the company. Avenatti allegedly claimed that Nike improperly made payments to families of high school basketball players. The arrest came about 15 minutes after Avenatti announced he would be holding a press conference the next day, at which he claimed he would reveal information about a high school and college basketball scandal involving Nike. During the afternoon of March 25, Avenatti and an unnamed co-conspirator were scheduled to meet with lawyers from Nike, at which prosecutors allege he would have offered to cancel the press conference in exchange for payment. Avenatti's suspected co-conspirator was identified as
Mark Geragos Mark John Geragos (born October 5, 1957) is an American criminal defense lawyer and the managing partner of Geragos & Geragos, in Los Angeles. Early life and education Geragos was born in Los Angeles, California, where he attended Flintridge Pr ...
. Avenatti was released on a $300,000 bond that evening. On February 14, 2020, Avenatti was found guilty on all three counts related to the attempted extortion of Nike. He faced potentially more than 40 years in prison. On July 8, 2021, Judge Paul G. Gardephe sentenced him to 30 months in prison.


Fraud and embezzlement conviction and sentencing

Also, on March 25, 2019, the
U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) is a United States district court, Federal trial court that serves over 19 million people in South ...
,
Nicola T. Hanna Nicola Taisir Hanna (born September 19, 1961) is an American lawyer who served as the United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Central District of California#United States Attorney for the Central District, Central Dist ...
, announced in Los Angeles the filing of a 197-page complaint accusing Avenatti of
wire fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to defraud another, and are federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the federal government if the illegal activity ...
and
bank fraud Bank fraud is the use of potentially illegal means to obtain money, assets, or other property owned or held by a financial institution, or to obtain money from depositors by fraudulently posing as a bank or other financial institution. In many ...
. The indictment said that Avenatti had embezzled money from a client and had defrauded a Mississippi bank by submitting false tax returns to obtain more than $4 million in loans. Prosecutors also alleged that Avenatti had not filed personal tax returns for the years in question. On April 10, 2019, Avenatti was charged by a federal grand jury in
Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the 13th-m ...
with embezzling funds that his client, NBA player
Hassan Whiteside Hassan Niam Whiteside (born June 13, 1989) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Marshall Thundering Herd before being s ...
, had wired to him in January 2017 to pay a settlement to his ex-girlfriend. Avenatti was accused of withholding client funds and applying most of the settlement money of $1.75 million, along with his included $1 million fees, to invest $2.5 million in a share of a private jet. He was further accused of misrepresenting Whiteside's settlement payment as monthly installments, which he paid out until June 2018, totaling $194,000. Federal agents subsequently seized a Honda HA-420 twin-engine jet from Santa Barbara Airport co-owned by Avenatti and former client, Indigo Systems co-founder William J. Parrish, as the latter was about to embark on a flight. Parrish successfully sued Avenatti in 2017 for $2.1 million for failure to repay a 2013 loan. Avenatti had not appeared in court to defend himself and appealed that judgment. Avenatti denies the charges. On April 11, 2019, 36 additional financial crime charges were announced by the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. Avenatti is accused of stealing money from clients to purchase a $5 million private jet he co-owned, as well as fraud related to tax documents and banking information. According to U.S. Attorney Hanna, " ney generated from one set of crimes was used to further other crimes, typically in the form of payments designed to string along victims." The purpose of his crimes was "to prevent Mr. Avenatti’s financial house of cards from collapsing." Vowing to "fully fight" the additional charges and appealing to the public to presume his innocence, Avenatti stated on Twitter that " r 20 years, I have represented Davids vs. Goliaths and relied on due process and our system of justice. Along the way, I have made many powerful enemies." Avenatti pleaded guilty on June 16, 2022, and on December 5, 2022, he was sentenced by James V. Selna in a California court to 14 years in prison for wire fraud as well as obstruction against the IRS in their effort to collect $5 million in unpaid payroll taxes for Tully's Coffee.


Theft of book proceeds from Stormy Daniels

On May 22, 2019, Avenatti was charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as a result of allegations that he stole money from former client
Stormy Daniels Stephanie Gregory Clifford (born March 17, 1979), known professionally as Stormy Daniels, is an American pornographic film actress and director, and former stripper. She has won numerous industry awards, and is a member of the NightMoves, AVN ...
while helping negotiate her 2018 book deal. Avenatti pleaded not guilty. Avenatti was released on a $300,000 bail bond on the conditions that he notify authorities of any travel plans and that he have no contact with Daniels. On February 4, 2022, Avenatti was convicted in a New York federal court of identity theft and wire fraud for stealing from Daniels. He was ordered to surrender to U.S. Marshals by February 7. In May 2022, Avenatti's attorneys submitted a letter of apology to Daniels saying he was "truly sorry", and that he failed her in many respects. On June 2, 2022, Avenatti was sentenced to four years in prison on top of the years he is already serving after another fraud conviction. Avenatti, registration number 86743-054, is currently incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island, where he was scheduled for release in 2026.


State Bar proceeding in California

On June 5, 2019, the
State Bar of California The State Bar of California is California's official attorney licensing agency. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, prescribing appropriate disciplin ...
filed with the California State Bar Court a 573-page application under the
California Business and Professions Code California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
section 6007(c)(2), to involuntarily enroll Avenatti as an inactive member of the bar.''Matter of Michael John Avenatti'', Case Number SBC-19-TE-30258, The State Bar Court is the court that decides whether a California attorney committed professional misconduct worthy of discipline, up to and including disbarment. The State Bar contends that the evidence submitted with the petition establishes that Avenatti has committed professional misconduct that has caused or is causing substantial harm to Avenatti's clients or the public. There is a substantial probability that Avenatti's professional misconduct will result in his
disbarment Disbarment, also known as striking off, is the removal of a lawyer from a bar association or the practice of law, thus revoking their law license or admission to practice law. Disbarment is usually a punishment for unethical or criminal co ...
. If the State Bar Court finds sufficient evidence to place Avenatti on involuntary inactive enrollment, the State Bar must initiate disciplinary proceedings within 45 days of the effective date of the order. If the State Bar Court rules on disbarment, the California Supreme Court must review and approve it. Avenatti has been on "Interim suspension after conviction 20-C-30155" since May 4, 2020. California, like most states, considers a felony conviction to be grounds for disbarment.


January 2020 arrest

Avenatti was again arrested on January 14, 2020, during a recess in court for his disbarment proceedings, for violating the terms of a previous release, and was expected to appear in federal court in
Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the 13th-m ...
, on January 15. According to ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', Avenatti was scheduled to face trial in New York on charges of attempting to extort millions from Nike when a federal judge in California ordered him jailed until his trial in California. Prosecutors in California accused Avenatti of violating the conditions of his release by committing a series of financial crimes while free on bond:
structuring Structuring, also known as smurfing in banking jargon, is the practice of executing financial transactions such as making bank deposits in a specific pattern, calculated to avoid triggering financial institutions to file reports required by l ...
currency transactions to avoid reporting requirements and concealing his personal assets from his creditors. U.S. Marshals were prepared to take Avenatti to Manhattan as early as January 17, 2020, for his trial on the New York charges. Avenatti's trial on the California charges was scheduled for the following May.


Personal life

Avenatti was married for 13 years to Christine Carlin, with whom he has two daughters. He married Lisa Storie in 2011. They have one son. Lisa Storie-Avenatti filed for divorce in December 2017. On November 30, 2018, the couple had signed a temporary agreement, which required Avenatti to sign over certain possessions and pay $40,000 a month in family support, with the first payment being due by December 3, 2018. In December 2018, it was reported that Avenatti had agreed to pay Lisa $1,947,540 in child and spousal support, and to transfer ownership of several assets to her, including five luxury wristwatches, a
Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions. His works are considered ...
sculpture, other artwork, and a leased 2017
Ferrari 488 The Ferrari 488 (Type F142M) is a mid-engine sports car produced by the Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari. The car replaced the 458, being the first mid-engine Ferrari to use a turbocharged V8 since the F40. It was succeeded by the Ferra ...
GT Spider, while his law firm would transfer to Lisa its interest in a 2015 Honda private jet. He responded to the reports, calling them "bogus". The jet was later confiscated by federal agents at Santa Barbara Airport on April 10, 2019, during an asset seizure based on the tax, wire, and bankruptcy fraud indictment filed in the U.S. Central District Court of California.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Avenatti, Michael 1971 births Living people 21st-century American criminals 21st-century American lawyers 12 Hours of Sebring drivers 24 Hours of Daytona drivers 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers American commentators American extortionists American Le Mans Series drivers American people convicted of mail and wire fraud American people convicted of tax crimes California Democrats Criminals from California Donald Trump litigation George Washington University Law School alumni Lawyers from Sacramento, California Parkway Central High School alumni People associated with O'Melveny & Myers People charged with identity theft Racing drivers from Sacramento, California Rolex Sports Car Series drivers University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences alumni WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers Walter Lechner Racing drivers