Avenatti crows over Cohen sentence: ‘He is a thug and deserves to be severely punished’

“He lied to my client, the American people and investigators for years. He is a thug and deserves to be severely punished,” Avenatti wrote on Twitter.

Daniels received $130,000 and former Playboy model Karen MacDougal received $150,000 to not disclose their affairs with then-candidate Trump.

The charges over the payments, which according to court documents were made at the direction of an individual understood to be President Trump, came out of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Mueller handed off the investigation to federal prosecutors in New York, who charged Cohen. Cohen pleaded guilty in August to eight counts of campaign finance violations and tax fraud.

Federal prosecutors recommended Friday that Cohen serve “substantial” time.

In a statement, Avenatti, credited Daniels with “the courage and fortitude to stand up for what was right against what was wrong.”

“Today is yet more evidence that our efforts have brought us closer toward realizing our goal,” he said.

Avenatti, who frequently jabs at Trump, also shot back at the president’s cryptic tweet saying, “Totally clears the president.”

“Yep – other than the small part about you participating in and directing the commission of two felonies,” he said.

It’s not clear what Trump’s tweet referred to. Documents were filed in multiple cases connected to Mueller’s investigation Friday, including another of Cohen’s.

Avenatti had teased a 2020 run for president as a Democrat, but said earlier this week he would not do so.