Michael Avenatti suffered a ‘cataclysmic fall,’ deserves 6 months for Nike shakedown, his lawyer says

Michael Avenatti’s “epic fall and public shaming” has made him a pariah relentlessly mocked by President Donald Trump’s supporters, his lawyer write in new papers, asking he receive a six-month sentence for trying to shake down Nike of more than $20 million.

Avenatti is scheduled to be sentenced June 30 for crossing the line during tough negotiations with Nike lawyers over allegations the shoe giant secretly bribed basketball prospects. Avenatti, who was arguably the most well-known lawyer in the world in 2018 thanks to legal battles with Trump, has endured a precipitous downfall. He faces a second trial for allegedly scamming his most famous client, porn star Stormy Daniels, out of $300,000 for a book deal. He faces a third case in Los Angeles for allegedly fleecing clients and other crimes.

“Avenatti’s epic fall and public shaming has played out in front of the entire world. ... Avenatti’s cataclysmic fall has been well-documented. He is openly mocked by the former President of the United States and his preferred media outlets, to the glee of millions of the former President’s followers and supporters,” Avenatti attorney Scott Srebnick wrote. “He cannot go anywhere in public without inducing and subjecting himself to vitriolic comments and abuse.”

Federal sentencing guidelines say Avenatti should get a sentence of 11 to 14 years in prison.

The 50-year-old seeks a sentence of six months in custody and one year of home confinement. He argued his partner in the troubled Nike negotiations in March 2019, prominent Los Angeles attorney Mark Geragos, was not charged. He also noted that there’s no risk he will ever commit a similar crime since he’ll never practice law again. Most significantly, he said he deserved a break due to the miserable conditions he endured for three months at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan.

“His every move (including showers and use of the toilet) was recorded on two cameras located inside his cell, and he was told that if he tried to cover himself when using the toilet, he would be disciplined. He could not control the lights within his cell, which were routinely left on without interruption. The temperature inside his cell reached approximately 45 degrees Fahrenheit at night,” Srebnick wrote.

“Rats infested his unit. Toilets overflowed constantly, and Avenatti was told to use his hands to clean it up. The conditions were inhumane and beyond brutal.”