Avenatti Wants His Big Spending Ways Kept Out of Nike Trial
Avenatti Wants His Big Spending Ways Kept Out of Nike Trial
(Bloomberg) -- Celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti said the government’s plan to raise as evidence his debt from spending on items like a luxury home or Ferrari would unfairly bias jurors against him in his upcoming trial on charges that he tried to extort millions of dollars from Nike Inc.
Avenatti, who gained a national profile after suing President Donald Trump on behalf of adult-film star Stormy Daniels, said in a court filing Monday in Manhattan that evidence of his spending, as well of a $5 million debt he owned to another lawyer, is irrelevant to the alleged crimes and should be barred from the trial starting next month.
Federal prosecutors say Avenatti, 48, tried to extort $25 million from Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike while representing a youth basketball coach, Gary Franklin, who claimed to have information about improper payments to athletes by the company. Nike’s lawyers in New York wore wires to obtain evidence against Avenatti, who was arrested after a meeting with them.
Avenatti demanded the payment in exchange for canceling a potentially damaging press conference about the company, according to prosecutors.
They say evidence of his large amount of debt is necessary to show the jury his motive for trying to extort money from Nike. Avenatti’s lawyer Scott Srebnick took aim at that reasoning in his filing.
“Even if Mr. Avenatti’s motive was at issue, his general financial condition and spending habits have no bearing on his motivations under the circumstances of this case,” Srebnick said. “Unexplained wealth is not an issue in this case.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Larson in New York at elarson4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Anthony Lin
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