Michael Avenatti arrested after allegedly violating pre-trial release terms
(CNN) — Attorney Michael Avenatti on Tuesday night was arrested by IRS agents on allegations of violating the terms of his pre-trial release, according to a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.
The documents related to the arrest are under seal and the spokesperson couldn’t provide further details on the allegations. Avenatti is expected to appear in federal court in Santa Ana, California, on Wednesday
The US attorney’s offices in the Southern District of New York and the Central District of California have charged Avenatti with a plethora of financial crimes that carry years of potential prison time, including charges of extorting Nike and multiple criminal counts related to alleged financial crimes. He has denied the charges.
The attorney became a household name during his representation of adult film star Stormy Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, when prosecutors pursued a case last year against President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen.
Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, including having made an illegal campaign contribution by paying $130,000 during the 2016 election cycle to Daniels to silence her claim of an affair with Trump — a payment prosecutors have said was made at Trump’s direction. Trump has denied the affair, and Cohen is serving a three-year prison sentence.
Speaking to CNN in a wide-ranging interview in April, Avenatti said he’s “been humbled significantly” in the face of his legal troubles.
“There’s been a lot of highs and there’s been a lot of lows, and, frankly, I’ve attempted not to get too high,” he said at the time. “Sometimes I’ve failed, but I’ve attempted not to get too high. Right now I’m trying not to get too low.”
During the interview, tears began to form at the corners of his eyes as he began thinking about what he had and what he has to lose, saying: “It is about the journey and regardless of what happens, um, I have had an enormous life. I have had a lot of opportunities that a lot of people could only dream. I’ve done a lot of things over my 48 years a lot of people would never have an opportunity to do.”