The lawyer who tried to sink President Trump’s SCOTUS nominee with a vicious smear campaign has now officially bowed out of a 2020 presidential run.
In a statement released Tuesday, New York attorney Michael Avenatti, a.k.a. “Creepy Porn Lawyer,” announced that he will not seek the 2020 Democratic nomination to challenge President Trump.
“After consultation with my family and at their request, I have decided not to seek the Presidency of the United States in 2020,” said Avenatti. “I do not make this decision lightly — I make it out of respect for my family. But for their concerns, I would run.”
However, Avenatti promised to continue the battle against President Trump via his porn star client, Stormy Daniels.
“I will continue to represent Stormy Daniels and others against Donald Trump and his cronies and will not rest until Trump is removed from office, and our Republic and its values are restored,” Avenatti said. “I will also continue with my nearly twenty years of speaking truth to power and representing those who need an advocate against the powerful.”
Avenatti concluded his concession by warning the Democrats to nominate a candidate that is both qualified and can win, i.e., not an un-“battletested” fringe candidate.
“I remain concerned that the Democratic Party will move toward nominating an individual who might make an exceptional president but has no chance of actually beating Donald Trump,” he concluded. “The Party must immediately recognize that many of the likely candidates are not battltested and have no real chance at winning. We will not prevail in 2020 without a fighter. I remain hopeful the party finds one.”
Michael Avenatti was propelled to national fame by representing porn star Stormy Daniels, who says she had a one-night affair with Trump. His most egregious contribution to the political scene came during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation battle when he represented a woman who alleged the former Yale grad ran a gang-rape ring in high school without providing a single piece of evidence.
Shortly thereafter, poetic justice found Avenatti when he was accused of domestic violence by Hollywood actress Mareli Miniutti. He denies the accusation and the L.A. district attorney declined to pursue charges, referring the case to a city attorney.
Avenatti’s trouble continued when Daniels alleged that the attorney filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump without her consent, which would have been malpractice on his part if true.
“He has spoken on my behalf without my approval. He filed a defamation case against Donald Trump against my wishes,” Daniels told the Daily Beast. “He repeatedly refused to tell me how my legal defense fund was being spent. Now he has launched a new crowdfunding campaign using my face and name without my permission and attributing words to me that I never wrote or said.”