Well, Michael Avenatti may not have put Donald Trump in prison, but his efforts could still land someone behind bars: himself.
NEW: SDNY is charging Michael Avenatti for "attempting to extract more than $20M in payments from a publicly traded company by threatening to use his ability to garner publicity to inflict substantial financial & reputational harm on the company if his demands were not met."
— erica orden (@eorden) March 25, 2019
JUST IN: Federal prosecutors announce charges against @MichaelAvenatti, alleging he tried to extort Nike, threatening to release damaging about the company, if Nike didn't agree to pay millions to him and a client.
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) March 25, 2019
According to the complaint filed in federal court, Avenatti told Nike attorneys by phone last week if his demands were not met, "I'll go take ten billion dollars off your client's market cap … I'm not f*cking around."
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) March 25, 2019
Who’s not f*cking around now, Michael?
Amazing. Avenatti, speaking directly with Nike's lawyers, allegedly threatened to extort the company. The lawyers immediately called up the Justice Department and set up a recorded sting of Avenatti reiterating his allegedly criminal demands pic.twitter.com/6PkOUjsH7F
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) March 25, 2019
3. Federal Prosecutors say Avenatti's attempts to extort Nike were captured in recorded phone calls and video of an in-person meeting.https://t.co/7yIlWwuBnf pic.twitter.com/Lfb3fY6Lok
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) March 25, 2019
4. Some of the details of the in-person meeting which was filmed. https://t.co/7yIlWwuBnf pic.twitter.com/3FQvOe7mvq
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) March 25, 2019
5. Wow during the in-person meeting (which was filmed) Avenatti repeated his threat and arranged a follow-up meeting with Nike lawyers.
That meeting was set to take place today.
Instead, Avenatti was arrested by the FBI and charged by SDNY. https://t.co/7yIlWwuBnf pic.twitter.com/pi7pOuw6DS
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) March 25, 2019
ahahahahahaha pic.twitter.com/p9pbu4DsJK
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) March 25, 2019
It’s officially lit, folks.
— ? Mary #FlyTheW ⚾️ (@mchastain81) March 25, 2019
hooooo boy https://t.co/vyYmz5P2g6
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) March 25, 2019
I just don't know who to trust these days. https://t.co/HWvaCBwJZl
— BT (@back_ttys) March 25, 2019
That doesn't sound like him at all! https://t.co/gHH6iSebtd
— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) March 25, 2019
Right? Michael Avenatti always struck us as such a stand-up guy.
Didn't he announce a press conference for tomorrow about Nike??
LOLOLOLOL https://t.co/NasvzCdFOg
— RBe (@RBPundit) March 25, 2019
Yes. Yes he did:
Tmrw at 11 am ET, we will 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.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) March 25, 2019
Forget about digging up dirt on Nike … Avenatti has apparently only buried himself.
12:16 pm -> 1:01 pm pic.twitter.com/NThpjvxxkE
— Elise Foley (@elisefoley) March 25, 2019
Life comes at you fast pic.twitter.com/uHjZuEDmOH
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) March 25, 2019
His timing is really something.
*loud banging on Michael Avenatti's front door*
"Be right there, just gotta send this tweet real quick…"— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) March 25, 2019
Ha!
Yesterday Democrats were glorifying and pinning their final hopes on SDNY and today the first thing SDNY does IS CHARGE STORMY DANIELS’ INFAMOUS LAWYER WITH EXTORTION
— Orange Muppet Energy (@sunnyright) March 25, 2019
And there’s more still:
There are more Avenatti charges coming:
Federal prosecutors in LA will also announce charges of wire fraud and bank fraud against Avenatti at 2p ET. These charges are separate from the charges in SDNY that were announced at roughly the same time.
— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) March 25, 2019
US attorney says arrest of @MichaelAvenatti on criminal bank fraud and wire fraud charges in Los Angeles is separate from the criminal case against him in New York related to @Nike
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) March 25, 2019
6. WOW! Avenatti is also being charged by the feds in the central district of California for embezzling client money and for bank fraud. He falsified tax returns in order to obtain millions in loans from a Mississippi bank.
This is separate from SDNYhttps://t.co/GFvQJMtFGS pic.twitter.com/KvEfZo98Vp
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) March 25, 2019
Guys.
THE HITS KEEP COMING https://t.co/8vVZ6pze8P
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) March 25, 2019
Justice doesn’t get much more poetic than that.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) March 25, 2019
— Sean Agnew (@seanagnew) March 25, 2019
This season finale is outstanding https://t.co/Au0Qa6eesj
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) March 25, 2019
Well, this day could not be getting better. https://t.co/qT7OSEGpIz
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) March 25, 2019
No no please my penis can only get so erect
— Orange Muppet Energy (@sunnyright) March 25, 2019
#basta https://t.co/i7EoBIvQv5
— BT (@back_ttys) March 25, 2019
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with an additional tweet.
***
Update:
It’s not looking too good for Michael Avenatti right about now:
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
"Avenatti negotiated a settlement which called for $1.6 million in settlement money to be paid on January 10, 2018, but then gave the client a bogus settlement agreement with a false payment date of March 10, 2018."https://t.co/YFeS6SJYK0
— Orange Muppet Energy (@sunnyright) March 25, 2019
"The affidavit states that Avenatti misappropriated his client’s settlement money and used it to pay expenses for his coffee business, Global Baristas US LLC"
— Orange Muppet Energy (@sunnyright) March 25, 2019
"In reality, Avenatti never filed personal income tax returns for 2011, 2012 and 2013 and did not make any estimated tax payments in 2012 and 2013. Instead of the millions of dollars he claimed to have paid in taxes, Avenatti still owed the IRS $850,438"
— Orange Muppet Energy (@sunnyright) March 25, 2019
Welp.
Quite possibly, yes:
#breaking For those who have asked, @MichaelAvenatti is facing up to 50 years in #prison on bank, wire fraud charges. Fifty years… #Nike #extortion #Avenatti
— Kevin Corke (@kevincorke) March 25, 2019
***
Updates:
'Savagery'! Donald Trump Jr. has got some 'good news' for Michael Avenatti and it's 'just plain cold' https://t.co/sxOOj0D1qy
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 25, 2019
'Oh snap'! Stormy Daniels pours some extra salt in Michael Avenatti's wounds, and we're here for it https://t.co/CHRGYWfNsA
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 25, 2019
'This somehow got better'! Per WSJ, Michael Avenatti's alleged co-conspirator should be familiar to CNN viewers https://t.co/9OCfUQ65Mf
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 25, 2019
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