Michael Avenatti Guilty: Convicted of cheating Stormy Daniels

NEW YORK - A jury has convicted Michael Avenatti of fraud for cheating porn star Stormy Daniels out of nearly $300,000 of her $800,000 publisher's advance on her 2018 autobiography, "Full Disclosure."

Avenatti, 50, stared straight ahead as the verdict was read in federal court in Manhattan. He had insisted he was innocent.

The celebrity lawyer has faced a host of legal problems after briefly rising to fame as one of Trump's leading antagonists on cable news early in the Republican's administration.

Avenatti dumped his lawyers and decided to represent himself shortly after the trial began, setting up a face-to-face showdown with Daniels, his former client, who appeared in a new role as star witness.

A prosecutor told jurors Wednesday in a trial's closing arguments that Avenatti told repeated lies to Daniels.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman instructed the jury to follow a trail of text messages and bank statements by Avenatti to reach its verdict on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

In his own closing argument, Avenatti told jurors that he and his firm had spent millions of dollars "to the benefit of Ms. Daniels."

He said that if they conclude that he had a good faith belief in his mind that he was entitled to be paid from book proceeds, the jurors must acquit.

Daniels and Avenatti were a team in 2018 as he represented her in lawsuits against former President Donald Trump. She hired him in her bid to speak publicly about claims of a tryst with Trump a decade earlier despite being paid $130,000 shortly before the 2016 presidential election to remain silent.

Daniels took to the witness stand last week, telling a jury Avenatti "stole from me and lied to me."

Her testimony was a highly anticipated moment at the trial of a man who parlayed his representation of Daniels in her legal battles against then-President Donald Trump in 2018 into a high-profile role as a Trump adversary.

Avenatti had taken over representation of himself at the criminal trial the day after opening statements.

U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman granted Avenatti's request after he cited a "breakdown" with his lawyers over trial strategy, particularly on how to question a former longtime office worker for Avenatti who was testifying at the trial by video.

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Avenatti became well known nationally in 2018 as he represented Daniels in lawsuits against then-President Donald Trump. Daniels had received $130,000 shortly before the 2016 presidential election to remain silent about her claims that she'd had a sexual tryst with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied it happened.

In opening statements, Avenatti's then-attorney Andrew Dalack said Avenatti had an agreement with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, to share proceeds of any book deal.

Dalack said Avenatti had loaned Daniels hundreds of thousands of dollars while he represented her.

A prosecution witness, Judy Regnier, testified that she did not believe Avenatti had sent any of his law firm's money to Daniels between July 2018 and February 2019.

Regnier, who worked as a paralegal and office manager for Avenatti for about 11 years, said the firm's finances were in bad shape during that span.

"I was checking bank accounts to see if there were enough funds to make it through the week, or the day," she said.

In early 2020, Avenatti was convicted of trying to extort up to $25 million from sportswear giant Nike by threatening to tarnish the company's reputation if it didn't meet his demands. He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. At that trial, he did not testify and was represented by lawyers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.