Michael Avenatti is a national embarrassment to the legal profession all over the country.
The former Stormy Daniels attorney uses the Internet echo chamber to perpetuate his value to society but most Americans see right through his nonsense.
And Michael Avenatti was just charged again and this time it was for his role in a settlement involving an NBA star.
Who would’ve thought Michael Avenatti would be such a sleazy stereotypical lawyer after he self-righteously rode his client’s coattails, porn star Stormy Daniels, to achieve infamy?
Since then, his arrogance has become so enormous that he was literally contemplating running for the Democratic nomination for President to run against Donald Trump in 2020.
But reality suddenly hit him like a brick wall when his firm was accused of defrauding his clients, which is what led Daniels to fire him approximately six weeks ago.
Whiteside agreed to settle a dispute he had with his ex-girlfriend, Alexis Gardner, for $3 million dollars where she retained Avenatti as counsel to handle the transaction.
His first payment was for $2.75 million and it’s alleged that Avenatti withheld the rest of the money outside of the $1 million in legal fees he charged Gardner.
How it was discovered was simple; it was in light of his April 10th indictment by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana, California where they had access to his bank records.
The 36-count indictment, which spans an array of alleged financial crimes, identifies Whiteside as “Individual 1” and Gardner as “Client 2.”
Whiteside and Gardner issued a joint statement released by the NBA pro’s agent to the Los Angeles Times that said, “We entered into a mutually agreed upon settlement more than two years ago following the end of our relationship; a settlement that reflected Alexis’ investment of time and support over a number of years as Hassan pursued a career in the NBA. It is unfortunate that something that was meant to be kept private between us is now being publicly reported. We have both moved on amicably and wish nothing but the best for each other.”
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Avenatti’s alleged crimes.
The disgraced lawyer was also charged with dodging taxes, bank fraud, perjury, and bankruptcy fraud. If convicted of the litany of crimes he’s been charged with then it could land him in prison for 382 years.
Of course, Avenatti maintains his innocence just like he did when he was ushered off to jail for the alleged Nike extortion scandal.
He announced on Twitter, “I look forward to ALL of the details coming out regarding Hassan Whiteside’s settlement, the money received by the client, the money deducted for fees and costs, etc. and the reason why he paid the money. I especially look forward to the inquiry by the @NBA and its commissioner.”
The last thing you want to do is ignore due process and convict anybody in the court of public opinion, but the facts don’t lie when it comes to Avenatti.
The Los Angeles Times noted, “Avenatti was in deep financial distress. His Newport Beach law firm was on the brink of bankruptcy, his Seattle coffee business was starting to collapse, and authorities were dogging him for millions of dollars in unpaid taxes. Prosecutors allege the money he’d stolen from his client Johnson was gone. All the while, Avenatti was spending lavishly on sports cars, high-end watches and luxury travel.”
It adds up like a mathematical proof. And maybe he’s in complete denial much like how it’s been reported Lori Loughlin is in the wake of her bribery scandal with the University of Southern California.
Sometimes the egocentrism, combined with celebrity, creates grandeurs of delusion that prevents them from seeing anything rationally.