Michael Avenatti reportedly asked Democratic operatives to help fund the two lawsuits he’s pursuing against President Trump on behalf of his client, porn star Stormy Daniels.
Sources told the New York Times that Avenatti approached someone who works for the group of liberal organizations led by David Brock. Another person tied to Avenatti’s law firm contacted two people close to top Democratic donors.
Avenatti called Bradley Beychok, the president of American Bridge, which was founded by Brock, just before launching a crowdfunding website raising money to assist Daniels in her lawsuit against Trump.
During the discussion, Avenatti reportedly said he wanted to raise up to $2 million, and wanted some of that money to come from Democratic donors or groups, the New York Times reported. The conversations, though, did not yield any financial assistance.
Two Democratic operatives told the Times that Brock’s organizations chose not to contribute money because they believed there was little value in doing so. Mike Berkowitz, a political adviser who works with Hyatt Hotel heiress Rachel Pritzker, referred Avenatti to Brock’s organizations, the Times reported.
A person connected to Avenatti’s law firm contacted Berkowitz asking for help with Daniels’ legal battle against Trump. But Berkowitz did not tell Pritzker of the request, sources said.
Avenatti told the Times he and his associates may have reached out to the Democratic operatives, but said he didn’t recognize Beychok, Berkowitz, or Brock’s names.
“We’ve contacted people on the right and the left relating to a variety of issues,” he said. “We have not sought any money from anyone on the right or the left.”
Avenatti said he turned down “big money” from Republican and Democratic donors “because we’re not going to have this politicized.” He also said he and Daniels have “not taken any political-associated dollars.”
The crowdfunding website set up by Avenatti and Daniels has raised more than $527,000. Daniels paid her lawyer a small amount for legal fees, but Avenatti told the Times he is currently being paid through the donations to the fundraising site.
Daniels and Avenatti have filed two lawsuits against Trump. The first seeks to invalidate a confidentiality agreement Daniels signed to remain quiet about an alleged sexual encounter she had with Trump. The second claims Trump defamed her.
Daniels received $130,000 from Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer, just before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence about the affair.
