The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear an appeal from disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti regarding his conviction for aggravated identity theft in connection with his former client, adult film star Stormy Daniels. The decision leaves in place a lower court’s ruling that found Avenatti guilty of stealing $300,000 in proceeds from Daniels’ book, Full Disclosure. The book drew widespread attention for detailing her alleged affair with former President Donald Trump.
Avenatti, once a high-profile lawyer and outspoken critic of Trump, has seen his legal career collapse amid multiple criminal convictions. His appeal to the Supreme Court represented his final effort to overturn his conviction related to the Daniels case, but the Court’s refusal to hear the appeal marks the end of the legal battle. Avenatti’s legal team had argued that procedural errors were made during the trial, but these claims were dismissed by lower courts and now, effectively, by the Supreme Court.
In 2022, Avenatti was sentenced to four years in prison for the theft from Daniels. According to prosecutors, he misappropriated funds Daniels was owed from her book deal, using the money for personal expenses without her knowledge. Avenatti had acted as Daniels’ lawyer during her legal battles with Trump but fell out of favor when allegations of financial misconduct surfaced.
The Supreme Court’s decision to reject the case comes as Avenatti is already serving a separate 14-year sentence for defrauding clients of millions of dollars. In that case, Avenatti was convicted of stealing settlement money from clients and using it for personal gain. These convictions have left Avenatti facing a lengthy prison sentence and the permanent loss of his law license.
Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, continues to be a central figure in the ongoing investigations surrounding Trump’s alleged misconduct. Her involvement in the case brought Avenatti into the national spotlight, but his subsequent downfall has been equally public and dramatic.
With the Supreme Court declining to intervene, Avenatti’s convictions stand, and he will continue to serve his sentences for both the Daniels case and the broader embezzlement schemes involving other clients.
