Names and faces

■ Michael Avenatti, the attorney who rocketed to fame through his representation of porn actress Stormy Daniels in her battles with President Donald Trump, was charged Wednesday with ripping her off. Federal prosecutors in New York City accused Avenatti of using a doctored document to divert about $300,000 that Daniels was supposed to get from a book deal and then spending the money on personal and business expenses. Only half of that money was paid back, prosecutors said. Daniels, whose real names is Stephanie Clifford, isn’t named in the court filing, but the details of the case, including the date her book was released, make clear that she is the client involved. Avenatti denied the allegations on Twitter.“No monies relating to Ms. Daniels were ever misappropriated or mishandled. She received millions of dollars worth of legal services and we spent huge sums in expenses. She directly paid only $100.00 for all that she received. I look forward to a jury hearing the evidence,” he wrote. The charges pile on top of previous allegations of legal misconduct by Avenatti, who represented Daniels when she sued to be released from a nondisclosure agreement she’d signed with Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen in exchange for $130,000 involving an alleged tryst with Trump, who denies that it took place. In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign-finance laws in connection with the payment. Avenatti was previously charged in New York with trying to extort up to $25 million from Nike by threatening to expose claims that the shoemaker paid off high school basketball players to steer them to Nike-sponsored colleges. And in Los Angeles, he’s facing a multicount federal indictment alleging that he stole millions of dollars from clients, didn’t pay taxes, committed bank fraud and lied during bankruptcy proceedings.

■ Country-music star Hank Williams Jr. is offering a $6,000 reward for his grandfather’s missing shotgun.

The singer known for hits including “Family Tradition” has posted a letter online saying he spent time growing up in south Alabama with his grandfather, Charles Sheppard. The letter says he can’t find the man’s old Remington Model 11-48 shotgun, which he wants to pass on. An attorney for Williams, Steve Smith, said the gun is believed to be lost, not stolen. The reward is being offered with no questions asked.