Michael Avenatti, the former attorney of adult movie star Stormy Daniels, who became famous with his anti-Trump appearances on cable news networks, is now defending the former president.
Avenatti, who is currently behind bars, spoke against the gag order that was imposed on the former president on his X, formerly Twitter, page.
“We can’t be hypocrites when it comes to the 1st Amendment. It is outrageous that [Michael] Cohen and Daniels can do countless TV interviews, post on social, & make $$ on bogus documentaries – all by talking sh*t about Trump – but he’s gagged and threatened with jail if he responds,” he said.
Avenatti — who is currently serving a prison sentence for embezzling millions of dollars from his clients and impeding the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) efforts to collect taxes from Daniels’s now-defunct coffee company Tully’s — previously represented Daniels in lawsuits against Trump.
Daniels was one of the clients that Avenatti defrauded for $300,000.
The judge, Juan Merchan, who is in charge of the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, expanded the gag order this week to include his daughter. The former president has gone after her because the firm where she is employed works with Democratic campaigns.
“This pattern of attacking family members of presiding jurists and attorneys assigned to his cases serves no legitimate purpose,” the judge said. “It merely injects fear in those assigned or called to participate in the proceedings that not only they, but their family members as well, are ‘fair game,’ for Defendant’s vitriol.”
“It is no longer just a mere possibility or a reasonable likelihood that there exists a threat to the integrity of the judicial proceedings,” he said. “The threat is very real. Admonitions are not enough, nor is reliance on self-restraint.”
The day after the gag order was imposed the former president posted on his Truth Social account.
“I just was informed that another corrupt New York Judge, Juan Merchan, GAGGED me so that I can not talk about the corruption and conflicts taking place in his courtroom.”
