Michael Avenatti is heading for several court appearances related to his own legal troubles, but the lawyer to porn star Stormy Daniels, 2020 Democratic hopeful and vocal Trump critic isn’t giving any ground to those gloating.
At a time when many national Democrats are lauding what they say was a “kinder, gentler” era of civility personified by the late President George H.W. Bush, the trash-mouthed attorney is taking a different route in dealing with his detractors.
“I’m not going to let the bastards get me down. F–k the haters,” Avenatti said in a text message to the Washington Examiner. A court hearing is expected next week related to his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, Mareli Miniuitti.
The Los Angeles district attorney declined to charge him with a felony. But the case was sent to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office, where misdemeanor charges are still being considered. Miniuitti was granted a temporary restraining order against Avenatti in civil court, and a hearing on that order is scheduled for next week.
The Daily Beast reported that he is set to appear to appear in Orange County Superior Court for a debtor’s examination related to unpaid child and spousal support in his divorce. However, Avenatti said there are no other court hearings scheduled this week or next week.
Avenatti is also facing trouble from Congress. In late October, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, referred Avenatti and Julie Swetnick to the Justice Department, saying they knowingly made false statements to Congress during the confirmation hearings for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings.
“I ask that the FBI investigate whether Mr. Avenatti criminally conspired with Ms. Swetnick to make materially false statements to the Committee,” Grassley wrote.
Avenatti’s legal problems have been compounded by a public battle he’s been having with Daniels, though the two appeared to have made up as of Monday.
Following Avenatti’s Nov. 14 arrest on domestic violence charges, Daniels released a statement: “These are serious and obviously very troubling allegations, but right now that is all they are: allegations. We should all reserve judgment until the investigation — an investigation Michael has said he welcomes — is complete, and that’s what I’m going to do. But of course I do not condone violence against women and if these allegations prove true I will be seeking new representation.”
But on Sunday, Daniels claimed on Twitter that she and Avenatti “have sorted shit out” and they are going to “kick ass together.” Avenatti replied: “Onward and upward. To all the people that want to divide us for their own agendas: It is not going to happen! #TeamStormy.”
Avenatti made two court appearances in California on Monday unrelated to his own issues. He appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court court as part of a lawsuit Daniels brought against her for mer lawyer Keith Davidson.
Daniels has accused Davidson of malpractice and collusion with Trump’s former Attorney Michael Cohen. Davidson, who helped negotiate Daniels’ now-infamous nondisclosure agreement about an affair she claims to have had with President Trump in 2006, has denied any wrongdoing.
The judge on Monday denied a request by Avenatti to depose Cohen until after Cohen is sentenced in the two federal cases he faces in New York.
Later Monday, Avenatti appeared at Los Angeles federal court to oppose attorney’s fees that Daniels could owe to Trump’s lawyers after her defamation suit against the president failed early this year.
In October, U.S. District Judge S. James Otero dismissed the lawsuit brought by Daniels, who had claimed Trump defamed her with a tweet he sent in April. Trump’s counsel, Charles Harder, wants Daniels to pay up more than $340,000. Avenatti’s appeal against Otero’s decision is still pending.
But Avenatti says that Trump and Cohen owe Daniels more than $1 million in the nondisclosure case.
“The hearing today means very little in the grand scheme of things, especially seeing as Trump and Cohen owe one $1 million in attorney’s feeds to Stormy under the NDA case, which is the main case,” Avenatti told the Washington Examiner.
