MSNBC’s Ari Melber interviewed incarcerated convicted felon Michael Avenatti to get his views on former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial.
Avenatti, a disbarred lawyer, is currently serving 19 years for extortion, fraud, obstruction, and identity theft. Some of those charges are from his theft of proceeds from a book by his former client, Stormy Daniels. The ex-lawyer became a cable news celebrity during the Trump administration thanks to his representation of Daniels, with whom Trump had an extramarital affair.
The former president is facing 34 felony counts in Manhattan in what District Attorney Alvin Bragg says was Trump’s falsification of business records to conceal hush money payments to cover up said affair. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Melber spoke by phone with Avenatti, who joined Tuesday’s edition of The Beat on MSNBC from Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island in California.
“Michael, have you been in touch with D.A. Bragg’s office?” Melber asked. “And what specifically in evidence or logic do you think is wrong with this case?”
“I’m going to decline to answer as to whether I’ve been in touch with either the defense or the D.A.s office,” Avenatti replied. “But let me say this in response to the second part of your question. You know, I think the case has a lot of problems. Now that– I don’t mean to suggest that means that Trump will not be convicted because I think he will be convicted because number one, he’s a criminal defendant in our society. I don’t believe criminal defendants generally get a fair shake.”
Avenatti then echoed attorneys for Trump, who have unsuccessfully attempted to secure a change of venue. He said:
I don’t think that he can get a fair trial in New York. And to the people who claim that in fact, he can get a fair trial in New York with a New York jury, I would ask them, if they were to go to sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow and find out that the case had been moved to Mississippi or Alabama, would they still think the trial was going to be fair?
And I think if they were being honest, they would answer no. So, I don’t think he can get a fair trial in New York.
Avenatti went on to trash former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who paid Daniels $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement regarding her affair with Trump. He said Cohen would make a poor witness.
“From my perspective, I surmise that the D.A. Is going to use potentially Michael Cohen or Stormy Daniels for that purpose,” Avenatti added. “And I think that has the potential to be a disaster. Michael Cohen – and you know I’ve never been a fan of Michael for various reasons – you know, he’s a serial liar. He’s shown himself to be incapable of telling the truth. His legal acumen leaves a lot to be desired. Let’s just say if Learned Hand or Clarence Darrow had a lovechild, it certainly wouldn’t be someone like Michael Cohen.”
Watch above via MSNBC.
