A federal judge in New York has given lawyer Michael Avenatti four years in prison for defrauding adult film star Stormy Daniels while representing her in a lawsuit against then-US President Donald Trump.
Speaking in a New York courtroom on Thursday, US District Judge Jesse Furman said that some 30 months of Avenatti's sentence could potentially run concurrently with time he is already serving for another conviction.
Avenatti was convicted in February of fraud and identity theft for stealing $300,000 of the $800,000 advance paid to Daniels for her 2018 book in which she laid out the salacious details of her affair with Trump in the years before he became president.
The attorney was already serving 2.5 years for a previous conviction for trying to extort $25 million from sneaker manufacturer Nike by threatening the company with bad publicity.
Last month, Avenatti issued an apology to Daniels, saying it was "obvious that I failed you in many respects."
Avenatti represented Daniels in a 2018 case against Trump alleging he had paid her $130,000 in hush money to stay silent about their 2006 affair. The president has denied the accusations and accused Daniels of lying, but his lawyer, Michael Cohen, made a plea deal in August 2018 to dodge charges that he facilitated the payment, making a statement substantiating most of Daniels' story. Her book, "Full Disclosure," laid out in extreme detail the nature of her relationship with the real estate mogul-turned head of state.
However, a circuit court found her liable for $300,000 in court fees paid by Trump due to the case. Daniels has pledged never to pay the fees.