The lawyer to the porn stars has just checked in at the Grey Bar Hotel.

While sitting in a California jail as a result of federal tax charges, an incarceration that took place as he was about to face fraud charges for his business practices, Michael Avenatti has been transferred across the country to face extortion charges in New York City. Michael had been used to making numerous appearances across the country for completely different reasons, but now he is in demand in a fashion far less glamorous.

It was two years ago that Michael Avenatti was just becoming a cultural fixture in this country. He was taking on the case of Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who had an incendiary tale of a torrid pre-election affair with Donald Trump, and this would lead to a media blitzkrieg. The explosiveness and the promise this story held to bring down a reviled President was too much for the media complex to ignore.

Avenatti, while boldly tweeting accusations with his trademark signature of ‘’Basta’’, the Italian word for ‘’enough’’, soon became a perpetual vision on the news networks. So irresistible was his potential that networks turned over their sets to the man, allowing him to rail — mostly unchallenged — about the President. The press was so enraptured that Avenatti appeared on CNN and MSNBC in a two month period over 100 times.

Avenatti became convinced he was a celebrity, making appearances at awards shows, and even being pictured at a private party attended by CNN on-air personalities. The lawyer even declared that he had intentions of running for the Presidency. But soon his legal issues started to surface. He was said to have defrauded clients, to have evaded paying taxes, and a charge of stealing the identity of Stormy Daniels has been leveled. So convinced was Avenatti of his import he actually extorted the Nike corporation, to the tune of tens of millions.

Finally, legal authorities decided that in regards to Avenatti they had seen Basta.

Recently arrested in California the lawyer has been transferred to New York, to face the charges on his Nike illegalities. Avenatti is being held in the same jail that was the final holding of Jeffery Epstein. He is kept in solitary, housed in the jail cell that once held famed drug cartel leader El Chapo. Avenatti’s lawyers argue his cell is intolerable, it is too cold and his phone access is too limited to allow for proper legal preparation.

Of note, he is said to be in round-the-clock lockdown, with guard supervision and cameras on his cell. It is possible with this reality that Avenatti’s lawyer has requested that he be moved to be held with the general population, a rather rare move. Normally we hear of the opposite, where a client is requested to be removed from gen-pop out of safety concerns. Apparently, given the Epstein episode, they feel he is possibly safer being housed with thugs and murderers than in solitary with the guards.

This could be a perfectly reasonable request and a sign that Avenatti’s legal team may possess a better grasp of lawyerly skills than the once-famous lawyer himself.

Covering politics, as well as the business side of Show Business. Expert in fine bourbons, good cigars, competent hockey teams, and horrible movies.



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Found at @MartiniShark Read more by Brad Slager