Anti-Trump lawyer Avenatti gets 14 years in prison
One AmericaAPR 2023
SCOTUS Rejects Michael Avenatti's Extortion Conviction Appeal
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The Spin
Narrative A
Michael Avenatti is a serial convicted white-collar criminal, and now multiple federal courts have affirmed that he's guilty of trying to extort Nike for $25M. It's quite clear that he plotted to blackmail Nike by threatening to publicly divulge allegations of unlawful payments to amateur athletes. His weak arguments have been rejected, and he will now pay the time.
Narrative B
While Michael Avenatti is far from a model citizen — and was a major celebrity figure in cases against Donald Trump and Bret Kavanaugh — he could be a linchpin in exposing a corrupt and exploitative system that preys on young athletes. Even if Avenatti was solely motivated by milking Nike for some benefits, his claims against the company still have merit.