Mike Avenatti, the former lawyer of Trump mistress Stormy Daniels, was today sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for stealing from other clients. Avenatti, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to various counts of fraud and obstruction, and was also ordered to pay $10m in restitution.
"Michael Avenatti was a corrupt lawyer who claimed he was fighting for the little guy. In fact, he only cared about his own selfish interests," US Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement following the sentencing. "He stole millions of dollars from his clients – all to finance his extravagant lifestyle that included a private jet and race cars. As a result of his illegal acts, he has lost his right to practice law in California, and now he will serve a richly deserved prison sentence."
Dean Steward, an attorney for Avenatti, said in a statement to CNN that the sentence "was overly harsh and uncalled for," adding that his client described it in court as being "off the charts."
The new sentence comes after an earlier 4-year term imposed for stealing from Daniels, and 30 months in yet another case, wherein he attempted to extort millions from apparel giant Nike.
The judge ruled that the sentences will be served consecutive to those, meaning Avenatti faces nearly 20 years inside.
Avenatti was briefly a hero of "resistance" liberals, who hoped that his representation of Daniels would somehow ensnarl the then-president in legal problems.
