In a stunning news blow that comes just on the heels of President Trump’s exoneration for alleged “collusion” with Russia in 2016, Michael Avenatti, the former attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and avid anti-Trump media fixture, has been arrested:
“Lawyer Michael Avenatti was arrested Monday on charges in New York and California, the former related to what investigators say was a $20 million effort to extort Nike and the latter for bank and wire fraud,” reports the Washington Free Beacon.
MSNBC: “Avenatti’s legal problems went from bad to worse. LA is expected to charge Michael Avenatti there with other crimes including embezzlement .. In addition, the US Attorneys office for LA is expected to charge Michael Avenatti for defrauding a bank using phony tax returns” pic.twitter.com/PBkOWxksGm— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 25, 2019
“News broke of the charges soon after Avenatti tweeted he would be holding a press conference to ‘disclose a major high school/college basketball scandal perpetrated by @Nike that we have uncovered. This criminal conduct reaches the highest levels of Nike and involves some of the biggest names in college basketball.'”
And at the opposite side of these continental United States, the Los Angeles Times reports: “In Southern California, federal prosecutors accused Avenatti of misusing $1.6 million in funds earmarked for a cilent’s settlement to cover “expenses for his coffee business, Global Baristas US LLC, which operated Tully’s Coffee stores in California and Washington state, as well as for his own expenses,” the statement read.
“Avenatti is separately accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $4 million in loans from a Mississippi bank in 2014 by submitting false tax returns that showed he had raked in millions in profits from 2011 to 2013, according to a criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles. In reality, Avenatti had not submitted a personal tax return with the Internal Revenue Service in any of those years, according to the filing.”
Trump supporters, Trump family members, and conservatives of other stripes remarked on the incredible timing of such news on Twitter on Monday afternoon:
In the last 3 days:
– Mueller investigation’s findings were released by Barr
– No collusion found
– Trump rubbed it in everyone’s face
– ISIS Caliphate obliterated
– Michael Avenatti facing time behind bars
– @DonaldJTrumpJr gets the ultimate revenge
Still not tired of winning. pic.twitter.com/yOiI2rx7HV— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) March 25, 2019
#MAGA – Michael Avenatti Getting Arrested!!!— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 25, 2019
This is like White House Christmas. https://t.co/1NEFNpUSD8— Emily Zanotti (@emzanotti) March 25, 2019
A gentle reminder: Not every schmo who’s on cable television who says he’s thinking of running for president needs to get the taking-him-seriously profile treatment. pic.twitter.com/aLQ8WpQYc6— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) March 25, 2019
