Michael Avenatti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Avenatti
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Avenatti in 2018
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| Born |
Michael John Avenatti
February 16, 1971 Sacramento, California, U.S.
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| Education | Saint Louis University University of Pennsylvania (BA) George Washington University (JD) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Christine Carlin
(divorced)Lisa Storie
(m. 2011; div. 2018) |
| Children | 3 |
| Criminal information | |
| Status | Incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island |
| Conviction(s) |
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| Criminal penalty | 5 years in prison with an additional sentence to come. |
Michael John Avenatti (born February 16, 1971) is an American who used to be a lawyer. He is known for representing clients in important legal cases. He also appeared often on TV as a commentator.
In March 2019, Mr. Avenatti faced various legal issues. He was found guilty of certain actions in court. In July 2021, he was sentenced to prison. He has been in prison since February 7, 2022. On December 5, 2022, he received an additional sentence. However, on October 23, 2024, a court ordered that his sentence be reviewed. He was no longer allowed to practice law in California as of February 5, 2025.
Early Life and Education
Michael Avenatti was born on February 16, 1971, in Sacramento, California. His family had Italian roots. He spent his early years in Colorado and Utah. His father worked as a manager for a large company. In 1982, his family moved to Chesterfield, Missouri, near St. Louis. He attended Parkway Central High School there.
After high school, Mr. Avenatti went to Saint Louis University for a year. He then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1996. During college, he worked for a political consulting firm. After college, he studied law at George Washington University Law School. He worked on legal issues related to government surveillance laws.
He graduated in 2000 as the top student in his class. In 2003, the George Washington Law School created an award in his name. This award is given yearly to a law student who shows great skill in legal advocacy. Mr. Avenatti also received an Alumni Recognition Award from the university in 2010.
Career Highlights
While in college and law school, Mr. Avenatti worked for a political research firm. He helped with over 150 political campaigns across 42 states.
After law school, he worked at a law firm in Los Angeles, California. He assisted on many legal matters. These included representing famous people and working on cases related to movies and music groups.
Later, he joined another law firm in Los Angeles. There, he handled several important cases. These included a case involving a famous person and a case about a TV show. He also worked on a large case involving financial wrongdoing.
In 2007, Mr. Avenatti started his own law firm, Eagan Avenatti, LLP. The firm had offices in Newport Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. His firm took on many significant lawsuits. He appeared on the TV show 60 Minutes three times because of cases he handled.
Mr. Avenatti also led several very large legal cases. These included a $454 million jury decision in a fraud case in 2017. He also achieved an $80.5 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit.
In 2013, Mr. Avenatti created a company called Global Baristas. This company bought a coffee chain called Tully's Coffee. He initially partnered with an actor, but that partnership ended. Since 2015, Global Baristas has faced many lawsuits for unpaid bills and taxes.
In 2015, Mr. Avenatti won a case against the National Football League (NFL). He later tried to start a group lawsuit for fans who had problems with tickets at a major football event. In 2016, he filed another group lawsuit against the NFL for a canceled game.
In 2017, a person claimed Mr. Avenatti owed him money for investigative work. This led to Mr. Avenatti's firm facing financial difficulties. The issue was resolved when Mr. Avenatti paid the amount.
In 2018, his law firm faced a large court judgment. Mr. Avenatti also had personal tax debts. His law firm had agreed to pay millions in unpaid fees and taxes. In November 2018, his law firm was asked to leave its office due to unpaid rent. In January 2019, a former client claimed Mr. Avenatti misused settlement money.
On June 3, 2019, the California State Bar began a process to stop Mr. Avenatti from practicing law. This was due to allegations of misusing client funds.
Racing Career
Starting in 2010, Mr. Avenatti participated in about 33 sportscar races. These included various races in the United States and Europe. He raced in events like the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He had planned to race in the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans but withdrew due to other business commitments. At the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, he raced with a team that finished seventh in its class.
- 24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 |  JMW Motorsport |
 Kuba Giermaziak Abdulaziz al Faisal |
Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 | GTE Am |
320 | 36th | 7th |
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The Pepsi Points Case
Before a famous lawsuit in 1999, Mr. Avenatti worked as a media consultant for the person who filed the lawsuit. This case was about a Pepsi commercial that seemed to offer a military jet for "Pepsi Points." Mr. Avenatti helped the client get media attention. He also found information about other Pepsi marketing campaigns. He later left the team due to disagreements.
Mr. Avenatti appeared in a 2022 Netflix documentary called Pepsi, Where's My Jet?. He talked about his role in the case.
Representing Stormy Daniels
In March 2018, Mr. Avenatti filed a lawsuit for a client named Stormy Daniels. The lawsuit aimed to cancel a 2016 agreement. This agreement was about information related to Donald Trump. Mr. Avenatti claimed his client had been paid money not to share this information. He also represented her in another related lawsuit. In October 2018, a judge dismissed one of these lawsuits. Mr. Avenatti said he would appeal the decision.
Mr. Avenatti often appeared on TV news shows to discuss these cases. He also gained many followers on Twitter. He often ended his tweets with "#basta," which means "enough" in Italian.
In May 2018, Mr. Avenatti shared records showing payments into an account. The U.S. Treasury Department investigated how he got this information. Mr. Avenatti tried to join a federal investigation. However, the judge told him he would have to stop his TV appearances. Mr. Avenatti withdrew his request.
In March 2019, his client, Stormy Daniels, ended her arrangement with Mr. Avenatti. She hired a new lawyer. Later that month, when legal charges against Mr. Avenatti were announced, she expressed sadness but not shock. Mr. Avenatti faced charges related to misusing funds from her. On June 2, 2022, he was sentenced to prison for actions against his client.
Immigration Cases
Mr. Avenatti provided a video to a news channel in June 2018. The video showed a child with immigration officials who was separated from her mother. This video was part of a response to a government policy about families.
Allegations Related to Brett Kavanaugh
In September 2018, during the process of confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Mr. Avenatti announced he had a client with additional claims. This client, Julie Swetnick, made statements about Mr. Kavanaugh's behavior in high school. She claimed he was present at parties where girls were treated badly. Mr. Kavanaugh denied these claims.
Mr. Avenatti later said he had another woman's statement supporting these claims. However, this woman later told NBC News that her statement was misunderstood. She said she never saw Mr. Kavanaugh act inappropriately. She also accused Mr. Avenatti of twisting her words.
Mr. Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court. Some politicians felt that Mr. Avenatti's actions made the situation more difficult. Senator Susan Collins called the allegations "outlandish." Senator Chuck Grassley asked the Department of Justice to investigate Mr. Avenatti and his client for possibly making false statements. Mr. Avenatti called this request "baseless."
Representing R. Kelly Accusers
In February 2019, Mr. Avenatti provided a video to authorities. This video was later used in a criminal trial against a musician named R. Kelly. In March 2019, Mr. Avenatti represented several people connected to R. Kelly. He accused R. Kelly of breaking his bail rules.
Considering a Presidential Campaign
Mr. Avenatti showed interest in running for President of the United States in 2020. He started a political group and held a fundraiser. In September 2018, he said he would only run against Donald Trump or Mike Pence. On November 1, 2018, he released his first political advertisement. On December 4, 2018, Mr. Avenatti announced he would not run for president. He stated he made this decision out of respect for his family.
Legal Issues and Sentences
Domestic Incident
In November 2018, Mr. Avenatti was arrested regarding a domestic incident. The police confirmed his arrest. A spokesperson said the person involved had "visible injuries." Mr. Avenatti called the allegations "completely bogus." Both of his former wives stated he had never been violent toward them. The district attorney decided not to press charges.
Extortion Conviction
Mr. Avenatti's actions in a lawsuit against a sports company became very aggressive. Prosecutors claimed he was trying to force the company to pay him a large sum of money.
On March 25, 2019, Mr. Avenatti was arrested in New York City. Federal prosecutors accused him of trying to get up to $25 million from the sports company, Nike. He allegedly threatened to share damaging information about the company. His arrest happened shortly after he announced a press conference where he claimed he would reveal information about a basketball scandal involving Nike.
On February 14, 2020, Mr. Avenatti was found guilty of all charges related to this attempted action against Nike. On July 8, 2021, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Fraud and Misuse of Funds Conviction
Also on March 25, 2019, prosecutors in Los Angeles announced charges against Mr. Avenatti. He was accused of misusing money from a client and misleading a bank to get loans. Prosecutors also claimed he had not filed personal tax returns for several years.
On April 10, 2019, Mr. Avenatti was charged with misusing funds from a client, an NBA player. He was accused of keeping most of a $1.75 million settlement payment for himself. He allegedly used some of this money to invest in a private jet. Federal agents later took possession of a private jet co-owned by Mr. Avenatti.
On April 11, 2019, 36 more financial charges were announced. Mr. Avenatti was accused of taking money from clients to buy a private jet. Prosecutors stated that he used money from one wrongdoing to hide other wrongdoings. Mr. Avenatti denied the charges.
Mr. Avenatti pleaded guilty on June 16, 2022. On December 5, 2022, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for financial wrongdoing and for obstructing tax collection efforts. He is currently in prison and is scheduled for release on July 31, 2035.
However, on October 23, 2024, a court ordered that his sentence be reviewed. The court found that the sentence was based on a higher amount of loss than what actually occurred.
Misuse of Book Proceeds from Stormy Daniels
On May 22, 2019, Mr. Avenatti was charged with misusing funds and identity theft. This was due to claims that he took money from his former client, Stormy Daniels, from her book deal. Mr. Avenatti pleaded not guilty. He was released on bail with conditions, including not contacting his former client.
On February 4, 2022, Mr. Avenatti was found guilty in a New York federal court for misusing funds from his client. He was ordered to report to authorities by February 7. In May 2022, his lawyers submitted an apology letter to his client, stating he was "truly sorry."
On June 2, 2022, Mr. Avenatti was sentenced to four years in prison for these actions. This sentence was added to his previous prison time.
California State Bar Proceedings
On June 5, 2019, the State Bar of California began a process to stop Mr. Avenatti from practicing law. The State Bar Court decides if a lawyer has acted improperly. The State Bar claimed that Mr. Avenatti's actions had harmed his clients or the public. They believed it was very likely he would no longer be allowed to practice law.
Mr. Avenatti was officially no longer allowed to practice law as of February 5, 2025.
January 2020 Arrest
Mr. Avenatti was arrested again on January 14, 2020. This was during a break in his legal proceedings. He was accused of breaking the rules of his previous release. Prosecutors claimed he committed more financial wrongdoings while out on bail. He was accused of hiding his money from those he owed.
Personal Life
Mr. Avenatti was married to Christine Carlin for 13 years. They have two daughters together.
He married Lisa Storie in 2011. They have one son. Lisa Storie-Avenatti filed for divorce in December 2017. In November 2018, they signed an agreement. This agreement required Mr. Avenatti to give her certain possessions and pay monthly support. In December 2018, it was reported that he agreed to pay a large sum for child and spousal support. He also agreed to transfer ownership of luxury items and a private jet to her. He called these reports "bogus." The private jet was later taken by federal agents in April 2019 due to his legal issues.
