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Disbarred lawyer Michael Avenatti, known for once representing porn actress Stormy Daniels, is now on trial, accused of stealing $300,000 from her in a case that prosecutors are calling "a lawyer who stole from his client."
Avenatti, 50, is facing charges of embezzling, wire fraud and identity theft.
"You will learn that the defendant was desperate for money," stated Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Rohrbach. "He was supposed to be her advocate."
Avenatti's name became nationally known starting in 2018 after he represented Daniels in lawsuits against former President Donald Trump. The former president had allegedly arranged a $130,000 payment to Daniels to keep her silent following an affair that they had.
Daniels had signed a non-disclosure agreement in the aftermath of the affair, and Avenatti was hired in an attempt to get the agreement nullified. However, prosecutors have stated that Avenatti was stealing money from the person that he was supposed to be representing in court.
Rohrbach stated that Avenatti had stolen from Daniels following the publication of her memoir, Full Disclosure. Avenatti allegedly forged a letter to Daniels' agent that ordered the advance money from the book to be sent to his bank account.
However, attorneys for Avenatti pushed back, stating that Daniels was making up the story due to her need to pay lawyer's fees following her lawsuit against Trump.
"Ms. Daniels had a motive to lie against Mr. Avenatti," attorney Andrew Dalack stated. "Ms. Daniels had lost one of the cases against Mr. Trump, and she was hit with $300,000 in attorneys' fees."
"The evidence will show that she didn't want to pay it, and that she blamed Mr. Avenatti for the loss and made up a story about the book deal to get him back," Dalack continued.
Dalack also reportedly called out Daniels for her time working on a paranormal television show, attempting to cast further doubt on her credibility by saying Daniels "[claimed] that she could speak with dead people [and] see inside homes with X-ray vision."
While both the prosecution and the defense had an opportunity to speak Monday during the opening proceedings, legal experts stated that the trial will likely last until mid-February.
This is not the first time Avenatti has faced legal issues. If found guilty, it would also not be his first conviction.
In 2019, he was charged with attempting to extort up to $25 million from athletic apparel giant Nike. The extortion occurred, lawyers said, when Avenatti was representing a high school basketball coach and threatened to make up false charges against the company.
Avenatti was found guilty in that case and faced up to 40 years behind bars. However, he was eventually sentenced to 30 months in prison, although he has not begun that sentence yet.
"I alone have destroyed my career, my relationships, and my life. And there is no doubt I need to pay," Avenatti stated during his sentencing.
Avenatti has also been embroiled in legal troubles in California. This includes embezzlement and fraud charges, with accusations of withholding client funds and using settlement payments toward personal investments.
Due to his being charged with felonies, California disbarred Avenatti and prevented him from practicing law, although the case against him in that state eventually resulted in a mistrial.
Newsweek has reached out to Avenatti for comment.
