Inside Avenatti’s Wild Self-Defense Gambit

“Michael Avenatti walked into a federal courthouse flanked by lawyers to face trial for allegedly embezzling millions in settlement proceeds from a handful of his own clients,” the Daily Beast reports.

“The twist: Despite the presence of his own legal eagles, the disgraced attorney was representing himself, and putting his trademark self-righteousness on robust display.”

“Inside the courtroom, Avenatti parroted a familiar line to jurors that he’s previously used to defend himself—that he’s a David fighting Goliaths, a fighter for the little guy, and that he never ‘intended to steal or defraud any client of any money at all.’”