THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE NOW ARE
BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE OF
ATTORNEY MICHAEL AVENATTI,
ARRESTED IN NEW YORK.
CHARGES BEING BROUGHT AGAINST
HIM.
I’M GOING TO BRING ON THE PHONE
NOW ALAN DERSHOWITZ, HARVARD LAW
PROFESSOR EMERITUS.
THIS CAUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE
OFF GUARD.
MAYBE NOT OF AN ODDITY, THOUGH.
BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY PLANNED A
PRESS CONFERENCE TO TALK ABOUT
SOME OF THESE CHARGES AGAINST
HIM.
TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR REACTION
AT THIS POINT AND KIND OF TAKE
US THROUGH WHAT’S HAPPENING TO
HIM.
>> I NEVER FEEL GOOD WHEN
SOMEBODY IS CHARGED WITH A
SERIOUS CRIME, AND WE HAVE TO
REMEMBER WE HAVE A PRESUMPTION
OF INNOCENCE.
FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN, HE WAS ON
THE PHONE PERHAPS RECORDED,
PERHAPS NOT, IN WHICH HE WAS
ESSENTIALLY ACCUSED OF
THREATENING TO AFFECT NIKE’S
CAPITAL VALUE UNLESS MONEY WAS
PAID.
HE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH
EXTORTION.
I DON’T KNOW THE SPECIFICS OF
WHAT THE CONVERSATION REGARDED,
BUT THE LAW IS CLEAR THAT YOU
CAN’T THREATEN A COMPANY’S
BOTTOM LINE UNLESS THEY PAY
MONEY, UNLESS IT’S PART OF A
NEGOTIATION.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE, PERHAPS, OF
A GUY WITH A BIG MOUTH USING
WORDS THAT REASONABLE LAWYERS
WOULD NEVER USE IN A
CONVERSATION.
WHETHER HE IS ACTUALLY GUILTY OF
THE CRIME OR NOT, WE WOULD HAVE
TO KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT THE
EVIDENCE AND THEIR PRESUMPTION
OF INNOCENCE APPLIES TO EVEN
PEOPLE WHO WOULDN’T APPLY THE
PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE TO
OTHER PEOPLE.
>> Harris: ALAN, WHAT DOES IT
SAY TO YOU THAT THE IRS SPECIAL
AGENT IS INVOLVED IN ONE OF
THESE NEWS CONFERENCES?
THERE WILL BE TWO, ONE IN
LOS ANGELES AND ONE IN NEW YORK.
>> WELL, IT’S HARD TO KNOW.
THERE MAY BE TAXABLE OCCASIONS.
IT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE THAT FROM
WHAT WE’VE HEARD, BUT IT ALSO
MAY BE THAT BECAUSE IT INVOLVES
JUST FINANCES YOU GET IRS AGENTS
BEING INVOLVED.
IF IT’S A STRAIGHT OUT EXTORTION
CASE, YOU WOULD EXPECT JUST FBI
AGENTS.
THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF SUCH
CASES, AND I KNOW.
I KNOW LAWYERS WHO HAVE ENGAGED
IN EXTORTION, AND SOME OF WHOM
HAVE BEEN PUNISHED, SOME HAVE
NOT BEEN.
THESE ARE SERIOUS MATTERS.
>> Harris: WE DID LEARN THAT
THERE WAS A STATEMENT THAT WAS
PUT OUT ON STORMY DANIELS ON
FEBRUARY 19TH.
"WE INFORM STORMY DANIELS IN
WRITING THAT WE WERE TERMINATING
HER LEGAL REPRESENTATION."
THIS IS OFTEN ODDITY.
"VARIOUS REASONS THAT WE CANNOT
DISCUSS PUBLICLY DUE TO ATTORNEY
HAVING CLIENT PRIVILEGE PRAY
THIS IS NOT DECISION MADE
LIGHTLY AND IT CAME AFTER
LENGTHY DISCUSSION, THOUGHT, AND
DELIBERATION AS WELL AS
CONSULTATION WITH OTHER
PROFESSIONALS.
WE WISH YOU STORMY ALL THE
BEST."
MICHAEL AVENATTI, SOME WOULD
SAY, BECAME FAMOUS FOR
PRESENTING THE ADULT PORN STAR
AGAINST THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OVER A PAYMENT
THAT SHE BASICALLY WANTED TO
GIVE BACK SO THAT SHE COULD BE
RELIEVED OF A NONDISCLOSURE
AGREEMENT.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN
OPPORTUNITY JUST TO TALK ABOUT
THAT CASE IN PARTICULAR WITH
THIS, AND THE IDEA THAT YOU
BELIEVE A CLIENT AHEAD OF
SOMETHING LIKE THESE CHARGES.
>> WELL, HE MAY HAVE BEEN FIRED
OR MAY HAVE LEFT.
WE DON’T KNOW.
REMEMBER, TOO, A LAWYER
REPRESENTING SOMEBODY LIKE
STORMY DANIELS OR STORMY DANIELS
COULD THEMSELVES BE GUILTY OF
EXTORTION IF THEY SAID TO THE
PRESIDENT WHO WAS REPRESENTATIVE
THAT, UNLESS YOU PAY ME MONEY,
WE WILL PUBLICLY DISCLOSE THE
AFFAIR.
THAT, TOO, WOULD BE EXTORTION.
LAWYERS HAVE BE VERY CAREFUL
ABOUT HOW THEY FRAME COMPLAINTS
IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
REMEMBER, THIS IS A BAD DAY FOR
MICHAEL AVENATTI, BECAUSE HE
ALSO WENT ON TELEVISION AND
PROMISED THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD NEVER
SERVE OUT HIS TERM.
"YOU CAN COUNT ON IT, YOU CAN BE
SURE."
"HE’S GOING TO BE IMPEACHED,
HE’S GOING TO BE INDICTED."
HE’S BEEN WRONG ABOUT JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING.
BUT I DON’T GET ANY GREAT JOY
FROM SEEING A LAWYER INDICTED ON
THE SUCH SERIOUS CHARGES THAT
COULD RESULT IN DISBARMENT AND
SIGNIFICANT PRISON TERM.