Former Trump fixer Cohen gets high-powered lawyer

NEW YORK — Michael Cohen reportedly has a new high-powered lawyer in New York — and even Michael Avenatti is impressed.

Cohen added former U.S. Attorney Guy Petrillo to his defense team after parting ways with Stephen Ryan of McDermott Will & Emery, Vanity Fair reported Tuesday.

“(Petrillo is) a big upgrade from Ryan and one that he needed after being fleeced for million in attorney’s fees,” Avenatti, the lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels, told the New York Daily News on Tuesday in response to the news.

Petrillo was the chief of the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from January 2008 to October 2009.

Cohen, a Trump confidante and personal lawyer dating back more than a decade, is now under criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in Manhattan’s Southern District. The feds reportedly want to know if he broke any laws in his business and legal dealings, including his 2016 hush-money payment to Daniels on behalf of President Donald Trump.

The so-called Trump “fixer” was the subject of surprise FBI raids at his residence, hotel and office in April.

The defense team shakeup has fueled speculation Cohen is in dire legal straits and a possible candidate to flip on his old boss.

Attempts to reach Petrillo were not immediately successful Tuesday.