FEDS MAY 'LIE' IN WAIT FOR AVENATTI
Grassley wants probe into ‘likely false’ Kav claims
Lawyer and president wannabe Michael Avenatti faces a potential criminal probe over a client’s salacious claims against US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
US Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday asked the Justice Department to investigate Avenatti and his client Julie Swetnick for alleging that Kavanaugh attended high-school parties where intoxicated girls were “gang-raped.”
Grassley’s letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director Christopher Wray said the “grave allegations” — made as Kavanaugh’s nomination to the high court was pending last month — “likely contained materially false claims.”
Grassley asked the feds to look into potential violations of the laws covering conspiracy, false statements and obstruction of Congress.
“I don’t take lightly making a referral of this nature, but ignoring this behavior will just invite more of it in the future,” Grassley said in a statement announcing his request.
Avenatti — who shot to fame by representing porn actress Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had an affair with President Trump — said he welcomed an investigation, telling The Associated Press, “This is a classic case of be careful what you wish for.”
He also took several shots at Grassley on Twitter, saying that “if Grassley was actually a lawyer that knew something about the law, he would realize what he has done.
“@ChuckGrassley - let’s start the investigation tonight. I will make my client available for a sworn interview and you can make Judge Kavanaugh available for a sworn interview,” Avenatti tweeted.
In a sworn declaration last month, Swetnick claimed that she attended “well over 10 house parties” around Washington, DC, during the early 1980s and saw Kavanaugh drink “excessively” and wait outside a room for his “turn” to have sex with an intoxicated girl inside.
Her allegations came in the wake of claims by Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh drunkenly tried to rape Ford at a highschool party in 1982.
Kavanaugh has denied any wrongdoing, angrily declaring, “I am innocent,” during a Sept. 28 confirmation hearing.
Avenatti has been flirting with a 2020 campaign for the White House and said Monday that he’d decide whether to run in the next 60 to 90 days.