High Court rejects Avenatti’s appeal of conviction

May 28, 2024, 10:05 AM ET WASHINGTON– The Supreme Court on Tuesday left in place legal representative Michael Avenatti’s conviction for outlining to obtain approximately $25 million from Nike.The justices did not comment in turning down an appeal from Avenatti, who increased to fame representing adult movie star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits versus previous President Donald Trump. The timing of the court’s action, while Trump is on trial in New york city over a hush money payment to Daniels, is coincidental.Avenatti’s involvement with Nike stems from a whistleblower’s allegations that the athletic shoes and clothes company was paying amateur basketball players.Editor’s Picks Avenatti’s legal representatives argued that the fraud statute under which he was founded guilty is unconstitutionally vague. They also contended that Avenatti

can not be criminally charged with outlining to obtain cash from Nike because he was taken part in settlement negotiations.The conviction and sentence had actually been supported by the federal appeals court in New York.The second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Avenatti’s claim that there was insufficient proof to support his February 2020 conviction on charges of extortion and honest-services fraud for threatening to smear Nike

in the media if he didn’t get paid.Avenatti, who was based in California, had been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in jail in the Nike case. He likewise has been founded guilty of stealing book earnings from Daniels and was sentenced to 14 years in jail for stealing settlement funds from clients and stopping working to

pay taxes for a coffee chain he owned.He is set up to be launched from prison in 2035, according to the Bureau of Prisons.Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not take part in the court’s action Tuesday. Avenatti represented Julie Swetnick, one of the ladies who publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misbehavior when he was nominated to the court in 2018.

Kavanaugh rejected the allegations.