Michael Avenatti issued a social media post from a prison in California.
A former lawyer for Stormy Daniels on Thursday accused a key witness in President Donald Trump’s so-called “hush money” trial of lying.
Michael Avenatti, who represented Ms. Daniels against President Trump before he was sentenced to 19 years in prison on various charges, targeted lawyer Keith Davidson in a post on social media, claiming that he tried to extort the former president along with Ms. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
“Keith Davidson is lying. After I confronted her [with] her own text [messages], Daniels admitted to me in early 2019 that she [and] Davidson had extorted Trump in Oct. 2016 – it was a shakedown. This was one of the many reasons I fired her as a client in Feb. 2019,” Mr. Avenatti wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday afternoon.
Keith Davidson is lying. After I confronted her w/ her own text msgs, Daniels admitted to me in early 2019 that she & Davidson had extorted Trump in Oct. 2016 – it was a shakedown. This was one of the many reasons I fired her as a client in Feb. 2019
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 2, 2024
It’s not clear how Mr. Avenatti, who is currently incarcerated in a California prison, was able to write and send the post. It’s also unclear what Mr. Avenatti was specifically referring to when accusing Mr. Davidson of lying.
Mr. Davidson has not publicly responded to the claim. The Epoch Times contacted his office for comment.
In a court appearance on Thursday, Mr. Davidson provided his version of the events surrounding the payment that President Trump allegedly made to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who then paid Ms. Daniels in a bid to prevent her from speaking about an alleged affair in 2006. The former president categorically denies the affair ever took place, and he’s pleaded not guilty in the case.
Mr. Davidson is the lawyer who negotiated the $130,000 payment that was sent to Ms. Daniels. At one point, prosecutors and defense attorneys had noted in court that at the time of an April 2018 conversation with Mr. Cohen, Ms. Daniels was being represented by Mr. Avenatti.
Mr. Davidson then agreed with a statement that Mr. Avenatti was attempting to “drive a wedge” between him and her publicist, Gina Rodriguez.
In 2022, Mr. Avenatti was sentenced to a lengthy prison term and ordered to pay millions in fines after he was convicted of embezzling millions from four clients as well as obstruction. He pleaded guilty earlier that year to four counts of wire fraud for each client and one count of obstruction.
