Avenatti guilty of extortion
Lawyers said he threatened to use media access to hurt Nike
NEW YORK — Michael Avenatti, the combative lawyer who gained fame by representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits involving President Donald Trump, was convicted Friday of trying to extort sportswear giant Nike.
The guilty verdict was returned by a federal jury in Manhattan following a three-week trial in which prosecutors said Avenatti threatened to use his media access to hurt Nike’s reputation and stock price unless the company paid him up to $25 million.
The convictions for attempted extortion and honest services fraud carry a combined potential penalty of 42 years in prison. A judge set sentencing for June.
Avenatti glared at the jurors as the verdict was being announced but said nothing. Afterward, he shook hands with his lawyers and told them “great job” before he was led back to the cell where he has been held since a judge found he had violated his bail conditions.
His lawyer, Scott Srebnick, said he would appeal the conviction.
“We are all obviously deeply disappointed by the jury’s verdict. We believe there are substantial legal grounds for the appeal that he plans to pursue,” Srebnick said in an email.
The jury agreed with prosecutors who argued that Avenatti misused a client’s information “in an effort to extort tens of millions of dollars” from Nike, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a written statement.
“While the defendant may have tried to hide behind legal terms and a suit and tie, the jury clearly saw the defendant’s scheme for what it was — an old fashioned shakedown,” Berman said.
At trial, lawyers for Nike used words like “shakedown” and “stickup” to describe what they felt they were subject to when Avenatti threatened to stage a news conference to muddy Nike’s name by linking the company to a college basketball scandal.
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-neb., lashed out at Avenatti after his conviction, recalling that Avenatti once sent a tweet labeling the senator, an occasional Trump critic, a “one man moron who knows nothing about the law” or the Supreme Court.
“Michael Avenatti is a D-list attorney but a Grade-a scumbag,” Sasse said in a release. “It’s hard to get airtime from the slammer, so Nike’s win is cable television’s loss. In the end, Michael Avenatti wasn’t a real attorney, he just played one on TV.”
After the conviction, Donald Trump Jr. said in a tweet: “I look forward to Michael’s witty twitter retorts to the jury that just found him guilty in all counts. Though I’m told he is still doing well amongst the Democrat primary contenders.”
Avenatti also faces an April trial in New York on charges that he defrauded Daniels of book proceeds and a May trial in Los Angeles on charges that he defrauded clients and others of millions of dollars.