US attorney Michael Avenatti has been convicted of cheating porn actor Stormy Daniels out of nearly $300,000 she was supposed to get for writing a book about an alleged tryst with former president Donald Trump.
Key points:
- Daniels alleges she had a sexual encounter with former US president Donald Trump.
- Mr Trump denies the allegations
- Daniels hired Mr Avenatti after being paid to keep silent on the alleged affair
Avenatti, who acted as his own lawyer, stared straight ahead as the guilty verdicts on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft were returned.
It was another defeat for the California lawyer, who faced legal problems after briefly rising to fame as one of Mr Trump’s leading antagonists on cable news.
“I’m very disappointed in the jury’s verdict,” Avenatti told reporters outside the federal courtroom in New York.
“I’m looking forward to a full adjudication of all the issues on appeal.”
Judge Jesse M Furman ordered Avenatti to surrender on Monday to US marshals in California.
