Porn star Stormy Daniels testifies ex-lawyer Michael Avenatti 'stole from me'
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A 2018 photo shows adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, speaking to the media alongside her lawyer at the time, Michael Avenatti.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Adult film actress Stormy Daniels told jurors at her former lawyer Michael Avenatti's criminal fraud trial on Thursday (Jan 27) that he "stole from me and lied to me."
Testifying as a prosecution witness, Daniels said in Manhattan federal court that she fired Avenatti in early 2019, one year after retaining him to help her escape her non-disclosure agreement with then-US president Donald Trump.
"I hired a new attorney because he stole from me and lied to me," said Daniels, 42, referring to Avenatti. She wore a cardigan sweater over a black dress.
Avenatti, 50, has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and identity theft.
Prosecutors have said Avenatti forged Daniels' signature to embezzle nearly US$300,000 (S$400,000) from a book contract that was meant for her, while Avenatti has argued that such a dispute over legal fees has no place in court.
Avenatti's work for Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, helped propel him to fame in 2018, before a slew of criminal charges the following year ended his law practice.
Daniels' testimony could stretch into Friday. Avenatti, a brash lawyer who is representing himself, could then cross-examine her, after representing her in cases she brought against Trump.
Daniels is known for receiving US$130,000 of hush money from Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to keep quiet before the 2016 presidential election about a sexual liaison she claimed to have once had with Trump, which Trump denies.
On the witness stand, Daniels told jurors she paid Avenatti a US$100 retainer to represent her, with an understanding he would launch a crowdfunding campaign, which ultimately raised US$650,000, to cover her legal expenses.
Prosecutors showed jurors the retainer, which said that if Avenatti helped Daniels arrange a book deal or paid media opportunity he would receive "a reasonable percentage to be agreed upon" between them.
Daniels said that after she received a US$250,000 advance for the book in April 2018, Avenatti told her by phone that he would not take funds from her book because he would get a "big payday" from winning the lawsuit against Trump.
"He told me not to worry about it that he would never take a penny from me for the book," Daniels testified.
She said that in Avenatti's view of her: "I was courageous and I earned it and I deserved it."
Daniels described herself as a writer, director and actress now producing a television show about paranormal activity.
Avenatti is expected to use Daniels' interest in ghosts to portray her testimony as unreliable.
Though not a criminal lawyer, Avenatti began representing himself in the case on Tuesday, citing a breakdown in his relationship with his public defenders. They will remain in the courtroom as standby counsel should he need help.
Based in Los Angeles, Avenatti became a cable TV fixture when he was representing Daniels.
He was hit with dozens of criminal charges in March and April 2019 for allegedly cheating Daniels, defrauding several other clients and trying to extort up to US$25 million from Nike, among other charges.
Avenatti is appealing his conviction and two-and-a-half-year prison sentence in the Nike case. A trial over the other alleged client frauds, in which Avenatti also represented himself, ended in a mistrial. The remaining charges have yet to be tried.