But then a federal indictment in 2019 changed everything for Avenatti. He ultimately was convicted and sentenced to 30 months in prison over a wild scheme that involved his trying to extort Nike out of up to $25 million.
On Tuesday, “The Beat” aired an exclusive interview he gave to Ari Melber — Avenatti’s first from federal prison — and, as you might imagine, the two had plenty to talk about.
Avenatti has had a lot of time to think — and apparently a lot to say, too. He told Melber that he thinks Trump will be convicted but voiced concern that the case has gone “stale at this juncture.” And he said the choice to file the charges in New York state court was ill-advised. (Trump has pleaded not guilty and is set to face his first criminal trial next week.)
At one point, he even pushed some rather Trumpian talking points, suggesting that it’s a mistake to “potentially deprive tens of millions of Americans of their choice for the presidency of the United States … based on a case of this nature.” The remark was indicative of a shift in tone for Avenatti, from boastful anti-Trump braggart to, perhaps, someone more contemplative or calculated.
When Melber asked Avenatti whether he could be called as a witness at Trump’s hush money trial, Avenatti played the middle.
“I’m going to decline to answer as to whether I’ve been in touch with either the defense or the DA’s office,” he said.
Watch the full interview here.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com