Michael Avenatti Arrested on Suspicion of Domestic Violence, Blames Jacob Wohl
Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Politics News Michael Avenatti
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Donald Trump, has been arrested for allegations of domestic violence. TMZ broke the story first, saying his ex-wife, Lisa Storie-Avenatti, was the victim of physical abuse, but her representatives quickly reached out to dispel that theory. It’s unclear who the victim was, or from whom the accusations come, though Avenatti has his theories. He went to social media to make his case.
After being released on a $50,000 bail, Avenatti made the following statement on Twitter: “I want to be clear: I DID NOT commit domestic violence nor have I ever committed domestic violence. I did not strike any woman nor have I ever. I did not strike my ex-wife in the face nor did I hit anyone else in the face. I am a decent man & I look forward to being exonerated.”
He expanded in a string of tweets detailing his side of the story. Both of his ex-wives stand by his side in saying the accusations are baseless. Ms. Storie-Avenatti hasn’t seen her ex-husband in “months,” per her statement, while Ms. Avenatti-Carlin says he’s “never been abusive.” He then provides clarification that he was not actually charged, and even issues a threat.
First Mueller and now me. When we are fully exonerated I am coming for you Jacob Wohl aka Surefire.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) November 15, 2018
There is a lot of inaccurate reporting out there. For example, (1) I have NOT been charged with anything, let alone a felony; (2) Lisa wasn’t even with me Tues; etc. Numerous other “facts” being reported are completely bogus. Why is TMZ’s news “standard” the new standard?
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) November 15, 2018
If the names Jacob Wohl or Surefire Intelligence sound familiar, it might be because of a similar story from just a few weeks ago. Wohl and his private intel agency, Surefire, are suspected of pinning false charges of sexual assault against Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and Avenatti thinks he’s at it again. Normally, it might be a bit brash to throw out more allegations, but his theory is given some credence by one of Surefire’s own tweets:
Surefire Intelligence strikes again. https://t.co/hdbWEjN38h
— Surefire Intelligence (@SurefireIntel) November 14, 2018
In spite of that, Wohl is sticking to his guns. He also took to Twitter, saying he “filed a police report” against Avenatti. He’s even done interviews saying Avenatti’s bail should be “revoked.”
I just filed a police report about Michael Avenatti’s threat. Thank you to the brave men and women of law enforcement!
— Jacob Wohl (@JacobAWohl) November 15, 2018
Daniels herself is staying calm under pressure. Per NBC, she’s planning to wait for a full investigation before she makes any decisions, but is prepared to look for new representation if the allegations are proven true.