This week, the ongoing saga of Michael Avenatti’s time in the public spotlight took a dramatic turn when he was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on domestic violence allegations. There are few confirmed details about the incident, but TMZ ran with the story, anyway, that Avenatti had been violent towards his ex-wife Lisa Storie-Avenatti — but he wasn’t, she has confirmed. She wasn’t even anywhere around the lawyer at the time of the alleged incident.
Avenatti has come out strongly against those pushing the story against him, suggesting on Twitter this Friday that TMZ should prepare for a lawsuit.
He asserted:
‘Whomever wrote and approved that TMZ article better get their checkbook ready because it was purposely malicious and false. It was designed to harm Lisa, me and my family and we are going expose TMZ for what they did. No journalist should rely on or defend garbage like that.’
He’s not the only one to raise the idea of him suing TMZ. Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks did as well and is among those to point out that TMZ boss Harvey Levin is a Trump pal.
He’s not the only one suspected of being in on a plot against Avenatti. Right wing provocateur Jacob Wohl also has an apparent hand in the mess. His company Surefire Intelligence tweeted a claim of apparent responsibility for Avenatti’s arrest this past Wednesday shortly after it unfolded.
In response, Avenatti also asserted that he would use legal tools at his disposal to go after Wohl, saying:
‘First Mueller and now me. When we are fully exonerated I am coming for you Jacob Wohl aka Surefire.’
As he indicates, Wohl has gone after Special Counsel Robert Mueller too. He — along with right winger Jack Burkman — concocted an apparent scheme to pay off women to claim that the Russia scandal investigator had sexually assaulted them. They called a press conference at which one such woman was to appear — but she bailed, never showing. The special counsel’s office referred the matter to the FBI for investigation, confirming as much in a rare public statement.
While Mueller has made himself a target for angry right wingers through his leadership of the Russia investigation, Avenatti has done so in large part through his representation of adult film star Stormy Daniels in her legal efforts against the president.
Donald Trump’s past personal lawyer Michael Cohen tried to shut her up about an affair she had with the now president, but that hush money scheme fell apart and Cohen has since pleaded guilty to associated crimes — and implicated the president.
Avenatti has, meanwhile, openly explored himself running for president, further establishing himself as a political target for Republicans.
In the aftermath of his arrest — confirming, seemingly, the right’s intent to drag him through the mud — the Republican National Committee rushed to file a request for any and all records concerning Avenatti from the LAPD.
He insists, though, that he has not actually been formally charged with a crime — and that those who would insist otherwise will face their day in court.
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot
