The alleged co-conspirator in an extortion case against celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti is believed to be CNN legal analyst Mark Geragos.

Geragos, 61, was not named in the criminal complaint against Avenatti. Two people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that the co-conspirator, referred to in the document as "CC-1", a California attorney "known for representation of celebrity and public figure clients," was Geragos. It is not known whether Geragos has been charged or is cooperating with investigators.

A CNN spokesperson told the Washington Examiner on Monday afternoon that Geragos is "no longer a CNN contributor."

One of the best-known criminal defense lawyers in America, Geragos' clients have included footballer Colin Kaepernick, the late singer Michael Jackson, actress Winona Ryder, former congressman Gary Condit, jailed Clinton associate Susan McDougal, murderer Scott Peterson, former hockey player Scott Barney, and actor Jussie Smollett.

Avenatti and a co-conspirator allegedly threatened to hold a news conference on the eve of Nike’s quarterly earnings call and the start of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament to publicize alleged misconduct and maximize the damage such information could inflict on the company.

If Nike’s lawyers wanted them to remain quiet, Avenatti said, they would need to be paid between $15 million and $25 million to conduct an “internal investigation” into the athletics apparel company. Avenatti said they would agree to a $22.5 million hush money payment from Nike if the company did not want to keep them on retainer.