Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who previously represented adult film actress Stormy Daniels, was arrested last week in Southern California during a California Bar Association hearing for an unrelated offense.
The “creepy porn lawyer,” as nicknamed by Tucker Carlson, has since found himself in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Corrections Center in Manhattan, New York, the same jail that housed high-profile inmates such as Jeffrey Epstein and international drug trafficker “El Chapo.”
But Avenatti’s legal team isn’t having it.
“He is in a cell reportedly once occupied by El Chapo, on a floor that houses individuals charged with terrorism offenses,” reads a letter written to Manhattan judge Paul Gardephe that was obtained by CNN. “He is apparently under special administrative measures (SAMs), which almost completely restricts his communications with the outside world.”
The lawyer also complains that Avenatti has not been given the opportunity for phone calls, and that the temperature of his jail cell has made it so uncomfortable that he has “great difficulty functioning.”
“Mr. Avenatti was permitted two social calls upon arriving at the facility, but none since. He was told that his classification entitles him to one pre-scheduled social call per month,” continues the complaint. “The temperature in his cell feels like it is in the mid-40s. He is forced to sleep with three blankets.”
According to the letter, Avenatti’s legal team doesn’t understand why Avenatti has been placed in the special housing unit, the jail’s most secure floor, and wants him given access to materials and services that will allow him to prepare for trial, saying that the current “situation is truly hampering our ability to prepare for trial.”
According to CNBC, Gardephe responded sympathetically Tuesday to the letter filed by Avenatti’s legal team, saying that prosecutors had to explain why exactly they decided to toss Avenatti into the housing unit usually reserved for people accused of terrorism and drug trafficking.
The news agency notes that Avenatti has denied allegations that he unsuccessfully tried to extort the athletics company Nike, as well as allegations that he scammed his clients.
Last week, Donald Trump Jr. responded to the impeccably poor timing of Avenatti’s arrest, considering that the lawyer was detained during a Democratic Party presidential primary debate and had previously garnered serious attention as a potential challenger to President Trump in 2020.
“Again??? He would have been more entertaining on tonight’s [Democratic debate] than these jokers. What happened?” tweeted the president’s son.
Again??? He would have been more entertaining on tonight’s #demdebate than these jokers. What happened?
Michael Avenatti Arrested by Feds at California State Bar Hearing https://t.co/87uhv63hIH
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 15, 2020
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Avenatti has seriously considered running for president on two separate occasions, changing his mind both times. The first time, he changed his mind, citing family concerns; the second time, he stated he was “50/50” about running.
“Never say never,” Avenatti told CNBC last August. “The Dems need a non-traditional fighter. They have a lot of talent but not a lot of fighters.”