A fresh war of words between Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen and convicted attorney Michael Avenatti has broken out over Stormy Daniels, resulting in the two Trumpworld figures trading legal barbs.
Cohen, who helped orchestrate a $130,000 hush money payoff to Daniels on behalf of former President Trump to catch and kill her story about their affair, recently had the adult film star on his Mea Culpa podcast.
Daniels, who has a pending defamation case against Trump, unloaded on Avenatti, saying he tried to dominate her life and comparing him to a controlling boyfriend.
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“I always had a weird feeling in my gut,” Stormy said about Avenatti. “I was never comfortable being alone with him and he got very controlling.”
“He showed up at my Vogue photoshoot and ended up in the magazine with me,” Daniels said.
Avenatti is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike.
He is also facing charges of identity theft and fraud for allegedly stealing $300,000 of Daniels’ book advance and using the money for himself. Avenatti denies the charges.
“I did get my first couple of checks and they were broken up into payments, but my last big check he intercepted by forging my signature and I have yet to see an accurate royalties statement,” Daniels said on the podcast.
“No monies relating to Ms. Daniels were ever misappropriated or mishandled,” Avenatti previously tweeted about the case. “She received millions of dollars worth of legal services and we spent huge sums in expenses. She directly paid only $100.00 for all that she received.”
Soon after the podcast aired, Avenatti fired off a letter demanding a correction/retraction, claiming 24 libelous statements in the podcast and others made by Cohen on MSNBC in which he labeled Avenatti “a little mini Donald Trump.”
“Mr. Cohen, and each of my clients herein, categorically and emphatically generally and specifically denies each allegation of defamation based on libel or slander alleged in the Demand,” Cohen’s lawyers fired back to Avenatti.
“This Demand, which is both frivolous and made in bad faith, will only lead to you garnering more negative press, which in my legal opinion you do not need given the many years in prison you are facing in multiple federal cases and in multiple jurisdictions including for your conduct involving Ms. Daniels and your other former clients.”
Cohen, who is serving the remainder of his prison sentence on home confinement after pleading guilty to tax evasion, campaign finance fraud, and lying to Congress, has invited Avenatti onto his podcast to set the record straight. When reached by phone on Wednesday Avenatti said he stood behind his letter but did not wish to comment further.
“I extricated myself from one narcissistic sociopath with no interest in involving myself with another,” Cohen told The Daily Beast about the legal brawl. “I'm looking forward to being present with Stormy at his sentencing proceeding.”
