Michael Avenatti, the disgraced lawyer who became a Democrat hero for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, was found guilty by a jury on Friday of cheating her out of nearly $300,000 in proceeds for her book Full Disclosure about an alleged affair with Trump.
Avenatti was convicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum prison penalty of 20 years for the wire fraud charge, while the aggravated identity theft charge carries a two-year jail term.
According to AP, “Prosecutors portrayed Avenatti as a common thief and serial liar. He countered by seeking to cast himself as a white knight who came to the rescue of Daniels until he turned on her.”
“The case isn’t as clear-cut as the government wants everybody to believe,” Avenatti claimed to reporters as the jury deliberated the case.
This ruling comes on top of his 30-month sentence for attempting to extort millions of dollars from Nike, in addition to being accused of cheating several clients out of money in Los Angeles.