CNN’s spent years trying to find a silver bullet to end Donald Trump’s political career.
One strategy CNN chose just backfired on them.
And this man that CNN counted on to bring down Trump is now facing years in prison.
As Black Eye Politics reports:
Throughout 2018, attorney Michael Avenatti was a constant presence on cable news.
CNN and MSNBC basically turned their programming over to Avenatti as he claimed Donald Trump paid his client—porn star Stormy Daniels—$130,000 in hush money back in October 2016 to keep quiet about a one-night stand affair from a decade prior.
The corporate media excitedly promoted Avenatti’s claims hoping it would lead to Trump’s impeachment and possibly face criminal charges.
But now it’s Avenatti facing years in prison as prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence Avenatti to eight years in jail following Avenatti’s conviction in an extortion scheme involving sneaker giant Nike.
“The defendant, a prominent attorney and media personality with a large public following, betrayed his client and sought to enrich himself by weaponizing his public profile in an attempt to extort a publicly-traded company out of tens of millions of dollars. This was an egregious abuse of trust, and it warrants real and serious punishment,” prosecutors wrote.
Avenatti threatened to expose evidence of alleged payoffs by Nike to high school basketball players to steer them to schools that signed endorsement deals with Nike.
Prosecutors wrote that Avenatti followed through on this scheme.
“Nike executives were shocked,” prosecutors added. “Nike had made a decision to not pay Mr. Avenatti, and now they were watching as he carried out what he had criminally threatened to do.”
Gary Franklin, Sr.—the high school basketball coach at the center of Avenatti’s claims—argued that Avenatti’s conduct destroyed his reputation.
“The actions of Mr. Avenatti have destroyed my reputation in my community. Enrollment in my club is at a record low. I no longer feel welcome in places I once felt comfortable. I have struggled with my mental health. My family has suffered. Because of Mr. Avenatti’s actions, this ‘scandal’ is now the first result when you Google my name,” Franklin, Sr. wrote.
At one point Avenatti was talked about as a serious presidential candidate;
CNN host Brian Stelter said he considered Avenatti a strong contender for the 2020 Democrat presidential nomination because of Avenatti’s mastery of cable television.
Those days are long gone.
Avenatti saw one of the most rapid rises and equally swift falls in American politics.
The corporate media elevated Avenatti to rock star status on the left because of their desperation to destroy Donald Trump.
But the media discarded Avenatti as quickly as they created him once he could no longer serve their purposes.