Things Just Got Ugly Between Stormy Daniels, Avenatti

Trump accuser makes some serious allegations against her own attorney
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 29, 2018 10:15 AM CST
Stormy Daniels May Have New Legal Target: Her Own Attorney
In this April 16, 2018, photo, adult film actress Stormy Daniels, left, stands with lawyer Michael Avenatti as she speaks outside federal court in New York.   (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Stormy Daniels is again making serious public allegations, but this time they're against her own attorney. In a statement to the Daily Beast, Daniels goes after Michael Avenatti on two main fronts. The biggest beef is about money, specifically the cash raised for Daniels on a crowdfunding site. She alleges that Avenatti refuses to provide details of how the money is being spent even after her repeated demands. "Instead of answering me, without my permission or even my knowledge Michael launched another crowdfunding campaign to raise money on my behalf," she wrote. "I learned about it on Twitter." Avenatti insists that everything is aboveboard, with the money going toward legal fees as agreed, but another allegation made by Daniels might be more damaging for him.

In her statement, Daniels alleges that Avenatti filed a defamation suit against President Trump in her name but against her wishes. (A judge ended up tossing the suit.) "If he filed the case with her name when it was clear that she told him not to, then he could be sued for that," New York University Law School prof Stephen Gillers tells the DB. "If true, she has a malpractice case against him. I emphasize if true." As of now, Daniels is still represented by Avenatti, though she says she's considering whether to sever ties. Avenatti, meanwhile, still has two other suits against Trump pending, notes the New York Times. (The attorney faced negative headlines earlier this month on a different matter.)

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