{"id":586335,"date":"2021-07-08T15:50:37","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T19:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=586335"},"modified":"2021-07-08T15:50:39","modified_gmt":"2021-07-08T19:50:39","slug":"michael-avenatti-gets-2-1-2-years-in-prison-for-nike-extortion-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michael-avenatti-gets-2-1-2-years-in-prison-for-nike-extortion-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Avenatti Gets 2-1\/2 Years in Prison for Nike Extortion Scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmichael-avenatti-gets-2-1-2-years-in-prison-for-nike-extortion-scheme%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=586335&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/avenatti-scaled-e1625773333465.jpeg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-0\">By Jonathan Stempel<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-0\">NEW YORK (Reuters) \u2014 Michael Avenatti, the brash lawyer who shot to fame representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Donald Trump before a swirl of criminal charges ended his legal career, was sentenced to 2-1\/2 years in prison on Thursday for trying to extort Nike Inc.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-1\">U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe in Manhattan said Avenatti, 50, &#8220;had become drunk on the power of his platform&#8221; in betraying his client, a youth basketball coach, for his own gain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-2\">&#8220;Mr. Avenatti&#8217;s conduct was outrageous,&#8221; Gardephe said. &#8220;He hijacked his client&#8217;s claims, and he used those claims to further his own agenda, which was to extort millions of dollars from Nike for himself.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-3\">The sentencing caps a precipitous downfall for a once-obscure lawyer who in 2018 became a cable news fixture, disparaging then-President Trump and even flirting with a White House run himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-4\">Avenatti was convicted for threatening to expose Nike&#8217;s alleged corrupt payments to families of college basketball prospects unless it forked over up to $25 million for him and another lawyer to conduct an internal probe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-5\">Recordings showed Avenatti telling Nike lawyers he would &#8220;blow the lid&#8221; on the sportswear company and wipe $10 billion off its stock market value unless it bowed to his demands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-6\">Prosecutors said Avenatti was counting on a big payday to cover his own debts. Nike has denied wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-7\">Avenatti was also convicted of defrauding the coach, Gary Franklin, by not telling him he wouldn&#8217;t settle unless there were a probe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-8\">Franklin had been upset Nike stopped sponsoring his program, and said he wanted simply to restore their relationship. He said Avenatti had &#8220;destroyed my reputation&#8221; in his community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-9\">Before being sentenced, Avenatti lost his composure as he admitted to having &#8220;lost his way,&#8221; and apologized to Franklin and others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-10\">&#8220;TV and Twitter, your honor, mean nothing,&#8221; Avenatti told the judge. &#8220;Everyone wants to ride in a limo with you, but very few are willing to sit next to you on the bus. Even fewer, your honor, are willing to take your calls from prison.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-11\">&#8220;I and I alone have destroyed my career, my relationships, my life,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-12\">Avenatti sought no more than six months in prison, and his lawyers have said he will appeal his conviction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\" data-testid=\"paragraph-13\">Prosecutors had sought a &#8220;very substantial&#8221; prison term, after probation officers recommended eight years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) \u2014 Michael Avenatti, the brash lawyer who shot to fame representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Donald Trump before a swirl &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":2314282,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/avenatti-scaled-e1625773333465.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"Michael Avenatti Gets 2-1\/2 Years in Prison for Nike Extortion Scheme","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-586335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/avenatti-scaled-e1625773333465.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"Michael Avenatti Gets 2-1\/2 Years in Prison for Nike Extortion Scheme","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=586335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2314282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=586335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=586335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=586335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}