Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels, has rapidly morphed into one of the most outspoken critics of the Trump administration, constantly sparring with the president’s proxies and pushing his political engagement so far in recent days as to stoke speculation that Avenatti himself might run for the nation’s highest office in 2020.
Today, it was revealed that Trump’s longtime attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, has struck a plea deal with investigators and turned himself into the FBI. Among the charges Cohen pleaded guilty to are “campaign finance violations,” which could likely be related to the hush money he arranged to pay Stormy Daniels for her silence regarding her extramarital affair with Trump.
The plea deal is just the latest bout of terrible news for the president, and Avenatti ran to Twitter to take a victory lap.
Avenatti tweeted that the Cohen plea could lead directly to Trump being deposed under oath about what he knew, when he knew it, and what he did about it. Avenatti promised to share whatever is learned with the general public. If he’s correct, and if Trump continues his lifelong habit of lying with every breath, it could lead directly to our conman leader facing perjury charges.
The developments of today will permit us to have the stay lifted in the civil case & should also permit us to proceed with an expedited deposition of Trump under oath about what he knew, when he knew it, and what he did about it. We will disclose it all to the public.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) August 21, 2018
The attorney then fixed his gaze on Rudy Giuliani, telling him to “Buckle Up Buttercup,” before adding that he and Trump “completely misplayed” their hand. What exactly he is referring to is unclear, but it seems a safe presumption that it is directly related to Cohen and how he fits into the investigation into the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia.
.@RudyGiuliani Buckle Up Buttercup. You and your client completely misplayed this… https://t.co/peLpswrDO1
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) August 21, 2018
It appears likely that Cohen is just the latest in what will eventually prove to be a long train of guilty pleas and convictions. If Trump and Giuliani are worried now, just wait until we see what the coming weeks bring. This administration is on the verge of collapse.
