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Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 194

What Just Happened?

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 194: What Just Happened?

Democrats Say Avenatti Undercut Their Case

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“Senate Democrats believed they had Brett Kavanaugh on the ropes… Then came Michael Avenatti,” CNN reports.

“The combative lawyer… revealed a stunning new allegation: A woman, Julie Swetnick, said she had witnessed the Supreme Court nominee attending more than 10 house parties… She also alleged that at some parties, boys lined up by a bedroom to ‘gang-rape’ incapacitated girls and claimed those in the lineup included Kavanaugh and Judge.”

“But the eye-popping nature of those claims suddenly gave Republicans an opportunity to shift the narrative away from Ford’s allegations and make a broader case that the growing accusations of sexual misconduct amounted to an orchestrated Democratic smear campaign, something Sen. Susan Collins, the swing GOP vote, cited herself when announcing she’d be the decisive vote to support Kavanaugh’s confirmation.”

Avenatti Client Not Yet Contacted By FBI

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Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing a third woman to accuse Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, said Saturday that he has “yet to hear from the FBI” — even after the agency reopened its investigation of the Supreme Court nominee, ABC News reports.

Avenatti, who represents Kavanaugh accuser Julie Swetnick, said on Saturday that he was ready to disclose to the FBI “all information and witnesses in our possession.”

Avenatti Says Third Accuser Is Ready to Testify

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Michael Avenatti said that a woman he represents, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of enabling sexual assault, is “100 percent” prepared to testify about her claims before the Senate Judiciary Committee, The Hill reports.

Said Avenatti: “I’m going to caution Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh, Chuck Grassley and others: If they try to come after my client or engage in some smear campaign, they better pack a lunch, because we’re going to respond two-fold.”

Avenatti Says New Accuser Will Go Public Before Thursday

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Michael Avenatti said another woman with damning new allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would reveal her identity and detail her claims when “we have adequate security measures in place,” CNBC  reports.

But Avenatti also said that he expects his client to go public in advance of Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. She would be the third woman.

Avenatti Client Will Go Public with Kavanaugh Allegations

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Michael Avenatti, who said he has “credible information” about more sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, told The Hill that he expects his new client will appear for an on-camera interview within the next 48 hours.

He said he does not know which media outlet she will appear on: “We have not finalized the details.”

Avenatti Claims to Have More Evidence on Kavanaugh

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Michael Avenatti announced that he is representing a client with “credible information” regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his former high school classmate, Mark Judge.

Said Avenatti: “I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify.”

In a subsequent communication with Mike Davis, chief counsel for nominations on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Avenatti claimed to have evidence that Kavanaugh, Judge and others would target women with drugs and alcohol to allow a “train” of men to gang rape them.

Cohen Seeks to Tear Up Stormy Daniels Deal

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“Michael Cohen’s shell company, Essential Consultants, filed a status report Friday evening agreeing to tear up the original 2016 agreement with adult film star Stormy Daniels, in which Cohen arranged to pay her $130,000 to stay silent about her alleged affair with President Trump,” CNN reports.

Said Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti: “What they’re trying to do is they don’t want me to get a chance to depose Michael Cohen and Donald Trump. This is a hail Mary to try and avoid that, that’s my first guess.”

Avenatti Plans ‘Resistance Rally’ In Texas

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Michael Avenatti announced that he plans to hold an event countering President Trump’s campaign rally for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in Texas next month, The Hill reports.

Said Avenatti: “I am excited to announce that I will be leading a large resistance rally in Texas at the exact same time of Trump’s… All groups are welcome to join. We must fight fire with fire and we must send a message that we will fight to make America America again.”

Avenatti Launches a PAC

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BuzzFeed News: “Michael Avenatti, the self-described potential 2020 contender and lawyer representing Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against Donald Trump, is launching his own federal PAC to support Democratic candidates with ‘the size and the presence to really fight back and advocate from a position of strength as opposed to weakness.'”

“The organization, formed Thursday, will be called Fight PAC, he said in an interview here in between meetings at the Democratic Party’s annual summer meeting.”

Avenatti Stirs Up DNC Meeting

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Politico: “The media circled him. Onlookers stopped him to take selfies. His entrance into a little-known committee meeting created an unmistakable buzz. On the first day of the DNC summer meeting on Thursday, attorney Michael Avenatti proved as recognizable and media-savvy as any of the prospects considering running for the party’s presidential nomination in 2020.”

“The attorney best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against President Donald Trump — now flirting with a presidential run of his own — appeared eager to convince that he’s more than just a face on TV.”

Avenatti Says Trump Not Intelligent Enough to Debate

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Michael Avenatti said that President Trump does not want to debate him because Trump is not “intelligent” enough, The Hill reports.

Said Avenatti: “He’s a bully and I think he doesn’t like people that punch back, and I think I would be incredibly effective against him. I don’t think he’s very quick on his feet, I don’t think he’s that intelligent and I think he’d be completely outclassed.”

CBS News: Avenatti visits New Hampshire.

How Michael Avenatti Got His Start In Politics

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BuzzFeed News: “Many politicians spent their younger days working or volunteering for campaigns, and they now regale voters with stories about knocking on doors for a candidate whose virtue appealed to their young idealism.”

“But Michael Avenatti, the TV-ready lawyer representing Stormy Daniels in her legal battle with Donald Trump, began his political career as a trainee in what is now one of the least sympathetic places in Democratic politics: as an opposition researcher for the Clinton machine.”

“Now Avenatti is considering running for president, and his origin story will test a dark thesis: That what Democrats want, more than hope or change or a return to normal, is simply to destroy Donald Trump.”

Quote of the Day

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“I’ll put it this way. People forced to play defense tend to get sloppy, they tend to make mistakes. And look, if I didn’t think Michael was doing a good job, I would fire his ass…. Every time I watch him work, I think, This is what it must have been like to see the Sistine Chapel being painted. But instead of paint, Michael uses the tears of his enemies.”

— Stormy Daniels, quoted by the New York Times, about her attorney, Michael Avenatti.

Avenatti Says He’ll Run for President

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Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing adult film star Stormy Daniels, says he will launch a presidential bid in 2020 if President Trump runs for re-election, Politico reports.

Said Avenatti: “If he seeks re-election, I will run, but only if I think that there is no other candidate in the race that has a REAL chance at beating him. We can’t relive 2016. I love this country, our values and our people too much to sit by while they are destroyed.”

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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