The former attorney of Stormy Daniels, Michael Avenatti, who is currently serving a prison sentence in California, took aim at attorney Keith Davidson, a key witness in President Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial, accusing him of deceit this week. In a social media post on X, Avenatti alleged that Davidson, who negotiated the $130,000 payment to Daniels, lied about his involvement in the alleged extortion attempt against Trump.
Avenatti claimed that Daniels had confessed to their involvement in a shakedown of Trump back in 2016. During his court appearance, Davidson provided his side of the story regarding the payment made by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels. The payment was purportedly made to prevent Daniels from speaking about an alleged affair with Trump, which he vehemently denies.
According to Davidson’s testimony, Daniels was paid $130,000 by Cohen to prevent her from disclosing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Davidson also discussed another client, Karen McDougal, who claimed to have been paid $150,000 by the National Enquirer’s parent company to keep her story quiet—a story they never published.
Keith Davidson is lying. After I confronted her w/ her own text msgs, Daniels admitted to me in early 2019 that she & Davidson had extorted Trump in Oct. 2016 – it was a shakedown. This was one of the many reasons I fired her as a client in Feb. 2019
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 2, 2024
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In court Davidson recounted Cohen’s distress over not being taken to Washington despite his deep involvement in Trump’s affairs, saying, “Jesus Christ, can you f*cking believe I’m not going to Washington, after everything I’ve done for that f*cking guy?”
The testimony further dove into the chaotic aftermath when the payments to Daniels became public in 2018. Davidson described how Cohen aggressively sought to maintain control over the narrative, including strong responses to press inquiries and threats of legal action against Daniels. Meanwhile, Trump has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and involvement with Daniels and McDougal.
Avenatti gained significant media attention and notoriety in past years for representing adult film actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against former President Trump in the past. Ironically, Avenatti became a vocal critic of Trump frequently appearing on television and in other media. Despite his rise in public profile, Avenatti’s career has been marred by legal issues. He has faced numerous charges, including attempting to extort Nike for millions of dollars, and has been convicted on multiple counts related to financial crimes. Avenatti’s credibility has come under fire following his conviction for embezzling millions from clients and obstructing justice.
Despite his legal troubles, Avenatti has expressed his willingness to testify in Trump’s trial, criticizing the judge’s gag order on the former president as unfair. Trump himself has been vocal about Avenatti’s involvement, thanking him for uncovering what he called the truth about individuals he deemed deceitful. Trump has also questioned Daniels’ integrity, labeling her actions as financially motivated.
In response, Daniels dismissed Avenatti as a “lunatic” and a fraudster.
The ongoing legal saga involving Trump has been seen by Republicans as politically motivated, with Avenatti suggesting that the case is an attempt to sway public opinion ahead of an election. If convicted, Trump could face up to four years in prison, although he is expected to appeal any verdict. Despite the legal battles, Trump continues to face scrutiny from prosecutors, who recently sought contempt charges against him for his comments regarding the trial. The former president was fined $9,000 for remarks made about several witnesses, including Cohen.
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