Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti was on CNN Sunday and made some explosive comments that are sure to send shockwaves through Trumpworld.
In discussing why the National Enquirer magazine ran a negative cover story about Trump attorney Michael Cohen, Avenatti gave a simple explanation:
“Mr. Trump and the administration have concluded what I’ve been saying for weeks: that Michael Cohen is in a lot of trouble and he’s going to flip on the president,†the attorney said. “So this National Enquirer cover is the first effort on their part to undermine Mr. Cohen’s credibility so they can claim when he does flip that he’s a liar.â€
The Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc., is run by David Pecker, a friend and ally of Trump’s. “It’s pretty transparent what is going on here,†Avenatti said.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Concerning the president, Avenatti had this to say, “Mr. Trump realizes that he is also in a lot of trouble, and he’s in panic mode.” He pointed out that just a week ago Trump sent out a tweet saying that he was fully supportive of Cohen and had his back, and now he’s worried that his lawyer and fixer is going to start cooperating with federal prosecutors.
Also on CNN, Avenatti said that he can prove President Trump knew about a $130,000 nondisclosure agreement that Michael Cohen signed with Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.
Avenatti said he didn’t think it was “possible†that Trump learned about the payment from media coverage of the scandal. “And I think, at the end of the day, we’re going to be able to prove that the president knew about the agreement and knew about the $130,000,†he said. Trump has always said that he was unaware of the agreement signed by Cohen and Daniels.
Just two days ago a federal judge called for a 90-day delay in Daniels’s lawsuit, saying it was “likely that Cohen will be indicted” in the federal criminal case against him.
“This is no simple criminal investigation; it is an investigation into the personal attorney of a sitting President regarding documents that might be subject to the attorney client privilege,†Judge S. James Otero wrote in granting Cohen’s request for the 90 day stay in the lawsuit.
Cohen said last week that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in the Daniels lawsuit in light of the ongoing criminal inquiry in New York.
“You may be able to be undisciplined in politics, you may be able to lie to the press and the American people, but you can’t lie in litigation,†Avenatti said. “It comes back and bites you every time.â€
Trump is used to lying and never having to face any consequences for his dishonest behavior. In Michael Avenatti he has not only met his match but he has met someone who is on a personal mission to hold the president accountable for his misdeeds.
As this case continues to unfold, in court and in the media, it is a good bet that the winner will not be the stable genius in the White House but the L.A. lawyer who has a history of winning big cases.
I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.
