Prominent US Lawyer Aiming for Presidency Found Guilty of Stealing Publishing Contract Deposit

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Michael Avenatti, the 'prominent lawyer' who once expressed his intention to run for the U.S. presidential election, was found guilty on the 4th (local time). He gained fame as the lawyer of former porn actress Stephanie Clifford (stage name Stormy Daniels), who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with former President Donald Trump.

According to local media such as CNBC and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the jury at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, New York, recognized Avenatti's guilt on charges of fraud and identity theft for embezzling $300,000 (about 360 million KRW) from Daniels' book publishing contract. The court will deliver the final sentence, including the term, on May 24.

Avenatti, 50 years old this year, gained popularity as a leading anti-Trump figure while representing Daniels in 2018. He became famous by appearing on TV programs and even expressed his intention to run for the 2020 presidential election as a challenger to former President Trump. However, he was indicted in 2019 on charges including attempting to extort $25 million from the global sports brand Nike, and was later sentenced to 30 months in prison. In addition, Avenatti faces dozens of serious criminal charges including fraud, perjury, and embezzlement.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

In this trial, it was confirmed that Avenatti embezzled part of the advance payment from the publishing contract for Clifford's memoir "Full Disclosure" and committed perjury to conceal it. The prosecution stated that Avenatti sent a fake letter in Daniels' name to Daniels' publishing agent. The letter included instructions to transfer the contract payment to an account managed by Avenatti.

On the day, Avenatti stood up his defense team and defended himself directly. WSJ reported that he tightly held hands and watched the jury, and closed his eyes when the guilty verdict was announced. After the trial, Avenatti expressed disappointment at the jury's verdict.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.