Peter Hasson on May 16, 2018
Michael Avenatti, porn star Stormy Daniels’ attorney, is being investigated by the California State Bar, a new report reveals.
Seattle attorney David Nold filed a complaint against Avenatti on March 26, as The Daily Caller News Foundation previously reported. Nold accused Avenatti of defrauding the state and federal government as the owner of a Seattle coffee chain.
“In essence, he bought a company out of bankruptcy and then used it for a ‘pump and dump’ scheme to deprive federal and state taxing authorities of millions of dollars,” Nold said in the complaint. (RELATED: With Avenatti In The Spotlight, His Own Questionable Past Emerges)
An April 18 letter Fox News obtained on Wednesday shows Avenatti is now under investigation. The state bar only launches a “full investigation” if the attorney reviewing the complaint “sees evidence of a serious violation,” according to its website.
“The complaint against attorney Michael J. Avenatti has been reviewed and forwarded to the Enforcement Unit for further investigation and prosecution, if warranted,” the letter states, according to Fox News. (RELATED: ‘Utter Bulls***’ — Avenatti Denies ‘Political Interests’ Are Paying Him)
Avenatti previously dismissed Nold’s complaint in a statement to the Seattle Times but has yet to provide any evidence refuting the accusations.
The porn star’s lawyer threatened to sue TheDCNF’s journalists on Monday for reporting on his history of shady business dealing. Avenatti has yet to demonstrate a single factual inaccuracy in TheDCNF’s reporting.
