The former attorney for adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels, Michael Avenatti, claims that former President Donald Trump’s legal team has “contacted” him, and he would be willing to testify.
Avenatti, who was found guilty of taking money from former clients, obstructing the IRS from taking millions of dollars in unpaid payroll taxes, and attempting to extort Nike, told the New York Post (NYP) that Trump’s legal defense had been in touch with him.
Avenatti was sentenced to 14 years in prison in December 2022, on top of serving five years in prison for two prior convictions.
“I’d be more than happy to testify. I don’t know that I will be called to testify, but I have been in touch with Trump’s defense for the better part of a year,” Avenatti told the outlet.
While Avenatti did not provide details regarding what he spoke to Trump’s legal team about, he described the trial against Trump as being “politically motivated” out of fears the former president “may be reelected.”
“There’s no question [the trial] is politically motivated because they’re concerned that he may be reelected,” Avenatti told the outlet. “If the defendant was anyone other than Donald Trump, this case would not have been brought at this time, and for the government to attempt to bring this case and convict him in an effort to prevent tens of millions of people from voting for him, I think it’s just flat out wrong, and atrocious.”
LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 27: Adult film actress/director Stormy Daniels attends the 2018 Adult Video News Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 27, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
One of the clients that Avenatti was found guilty of defrauding money from was his former client, Daniels. In May 2019, Avenatti was charged with defrauding Daniels. Prosecutors claimed that Avenatti had used a fake document in order to move $300,000 that Daniels had supposedly received from a book deal. Instead, the money was used for personal and business expenses.
Prior to being sentenced to prison, Avenatti had been among Trump’s top critics, even floating the idea of a presidential run in 2020 against Trump.
In an opinion piece in the New York Times, Avenatti called for Trump to be indicted.
“I’m really bothered by the fact that Trump, in my view, has been targeted,” Avenatti added. “Four cases is just over the top, and I think there’s a significant chance that this is going to all backfire and is going to propel him to the White House.”
Trump’s hush money criminal trial began on Monday as potential jurors were selected to sit on a 12-juror panel.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump in April 2023 with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree concerning payments made to Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.