It has not been a good November for the so-called “creepy porn lawyer” and 2020 Democratic hopeful Michael Avenatti. First he was arrested for a domestic violence charge from a former girlfriend and then had a restraining order filed against him from the same person. On Wednesday, client and porn star Stormy Daniels had apparently cut ties with him and called him out for filing lawsuits against her wishes. Despite this stunning turn of events, CBS and ABC couldn’t be bothered to mention it.
Surprisingly, NBC Nightly News was the only broadcast network program to report on the development. Perhaps it was because he burned NBC with his grotesquely smear against Justice Brett Kavanaugh via his client Julie Swetnick. NBC breathlessly reported the claims when they knew well in advance that they had no validity. The Senate Judiciary Committee then referred Avenatti and Swetnick to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation.
“Now to that late word this evening from Stormy Daniels,” announced anchor Lester Holt with an odd excitement in his voice, “the adult film star making stunning allegations about her embattled lawyer Michael Avenatti regarding a lawsuit against President Trump.”
In the full report by White House correspondent Kristen Welker, she hyped the “dramatic twist” of Daniels coming out and blasting her former lawyer. “[H]er attorney Michael Avenatti sued President Trump for defaming her against her wishes and alleges Avenatti withheld information from her and launched a new crowd funding campaign without her permission,” Welker reported.
Despite calling himself Daniels’ “biggest champion” a statement, Avenatti bitterly added that he had “personally sacrificed an enormous amount of money, time, and energy in assisting her because I believe in her.”
According to Welker, the original financial arrangement between the two had Daniels paying just $100 for Avenatti’s services while “all other money raised would go towards his legal fees.” This probably explained why he was so adamant about starting crowd funding campaigns.
It’s interesting that Daniels was calling Avenatti out for suing President Trump for defamation against her wishes because, when the lawsuit was thrown out by the judge, the broadcast networks (including NBC) downplayed it.
Instead of reporting on this revelation about Avenatti, a liberal media darling, CBS Evening News was busy touting Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi getting a nod from the Democratic Party to run for speaker. Over on ABC, they were busy re-airing an interview where Deborah Roberts grilled First Daughter Ivanka Trump on her recent e-mail scandal.
They turned a blind eye to these claims after hanging on her every word when they were against President Trump.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC Nightly News
November 28, 2018
7:03:49 p.m. Eastern [1 minute 21 seconds]LESTER HOLT: Now to that late word this evening from Stormy Daniels, the adult film star making stunning allegations about her embattled lawyer Michael Avenatti regarding a lawsuit against President Trump. We get the breaking details now from NBC's Kristen Welker.
[Cuts to video]
KRISTEN WELKER: Tonight, in a dramatic twist, Stormy Daniels says her attorney Michael Avenatti sued President Trump for defaming her against her wishes and alleges Avenatti withheld information from her and launched a new crowd funding campaign without her permission.
Daniels saying in a statement tonight, “I haven't decided yet what to do about legal representation moving forward.” Avenatti responding he's “Stormy's biggest champion. I have personally sacrificed an enormous amount of money, time, and energy in assisting her because I believe in her.”
Avenatti says Daniels agreed to pay him $100 under their original agreement and all other money raised would go towards his legal fees.
STORMY DANIELS: My attorney and I are committed to making sure that everyone finds out the truth.
WELKER: In a separate suit, Daniels is suing the President and his former personal attorney Michael Cohen over a hush money payment, claiming Cohen paid her $130,000 just before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump in 2006, which the President denies. Kristen Welker, NBC News, Washington.
