US star lawyer Avenatti arrested on domestic violence suspicions

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, speaks to the press after a court hearing at the United States Courthouse in Los Angeles on July 27, 2018. Los Angeles Police Department detectives arrested him on suspicion of domestic violence, police said on November 14, 2018. PHOTO | MARK RALSTON | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Avenatti has faced mounting legal and financial problems in recent months.
  • Rumours have swirled for months over the prospect of Mr Avenatti launching a presidential bid in 2020, when Mr Trump will seek re-election.

  • His clients have included Julie Swetnick, who said she witnessed sexually abusive behaviour by Brett Kavanaugh.

LOS ANGELES,

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for an adult film star engaged in a legal battle with Donald Trump, was arrested in Los Angeles on a felony domestic violence charge, police said Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Police Department tweeted that the star attorney was booked in the afternoon and his bail was set at $50,000.

DENIAL

In a statement, the 47-year-old lawyer denied any wrongdoing.

"I have never been physically abusive in my life nor was I last night," he said. "Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation.

"I look forward to being fully exonerated."

According to the celebrity website TMZ, Mr Avenatti was allegedly involved in a dispute with an unidentified woman on Tuesday and was arrested on Wednesday following a second confrontation.

The website initially identified the woman as Mr Avenatti's estranged wife, Lisa Storie Avenatti, but she issued a statement to NBC saying he had never been violent with her.

THORN

Mr Avenatti has been a thorn in the side of the US president as the attorney for Stormy Daniels, who is suing President Trump to invalidate a non-disclosure agreement made days before the 2016 presidential election over an alleged sexual encounter she had with him.

Rumours have swirled for months over the prospect of Mr Avenatti launching a presidential bid in 2020, when Mr Trump will seek re-election.

But in recent months he has faced mounting legal and financial problems.

In addition to Ms Daniels, his clients have included Julie Swetnick, who said she witnessed sexually abusive behaviour by Brett Kavanaugh, the US Supreme Court justice whose volatile confirmation process was marked by multiple accusations of sexual assault when he was in high school.

If found guilty of the charge of domestic violence, Mr Avenatti faces up to four years in prison.