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US-CRIME-ASSAULT-AVENATTI
US star lawyer Avenatti arrested on domestic violence suspicions
LOS ANGELES, Nov 15, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for an
adult film star engaged in a legal battle with Donald Trump, was arrested in
Los Angeles on a felony domestic violence charge, police said Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Police Department tweeted that the star attorney was
booked in the afternoon and his bail was set at $50,000.
In a statement, the 47-year-old lawyer denied any wrongdoing.
“I have never been physically abusive in my life nor was I last night,” he
said. “Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to
my reputation.
“I look forward to being fully exonerated.”
According to the celebrity website TMZ, Avenatti was allegedly involved in
a dispute with an unidentified woman on Tuesday and was arrested on Wednesday
following a second confrontation.
The website initially identified the woman as Avenatti’s estranged wife,
Lisa Storie Avenatti, but she issued a statement to NBC saying he had never
been violent with her.
Avenatti has been a thorn in the side of the US president as the attorney
for Stormy Daniels, who is suing Trump to invalidate a non-disclosure
agreement made days before the 2016 presidential election over an alleged
sexual encounter she had with him.
Rumors have swirled for months over the prospect of Avenatti launching a
presidential bid in 2020, when Trump will seek re-election.
But in recent months he has faced mounting legal and financial problems.
In addition to Daniels, his clients have included Julie Swetnick, who said
she witnessed sexually abusive behavior by Brett Kavanaugh, the US Supreme
Court justice whose volatile confirmation process was marked by multiple
accusations of sexual assault when he was in high school.
If found guilty of the charge of domestic violence, Avenatti faces up to
four years in prison.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0843 hrs