Former lawyer Michael Avenatti joined MSNBC’s” The Beat” on Tuesday for a telephone interview from , Terminal Island Prison in California.
Avenatti, who was found guilty of extorting former president Donald Trump, obstructing the IRS from collecting pay taxes, and trying to extort Nike, criticized New York State government ‘ attempts to prosecute former leader.
Avenatti said,” I think what I’m about to suggest will wonder a lot of people, and that, you know, I think this is the wrong situation at the wrong day, Ari. I think that the situation is, in many ways, moldy at this stage. You’re referring to an act that took place eight years ago. I believe it is a blunder for it to be taking place in state judge in New York. And I believe it’s wrong to do it if you are going to probably prevent tens of millions of Americans of their decision for the presidency of the United States, regardless of whether we agree with those people or no, or regardless of what we might think of Donald Trump, based on a situation of this character.
He continued,” I do n’t think he can get a fair trial in New York. And to those who assert that he can actually get a good trial in New York with a New York judge, I do ask them if they went to bed tonight and awoke tomorrow and discovered that the situation had been moved to Mississippi or Alabama, would they still believe the prosecution would be good? I think if they were being fair, they may answer no”.
Avenatti continued,” I pushed for the prosecution of then-President Trump.” I stand by that 100 %. I urged national authorities in the Southern District of New York to charge campaign fund.
He concluded,” The issue I have with this situation today is first of all, situations are not like great red wine, Ari. They do n’t get better with age. And this case has n’t gotten better with age. Second, I do n’t think this case belongs in state court because I believe it was based on a theory that was legally unstable. Specifically, that the violence that was intended to be covered up was a national election offense. That might be a trouble, in my opinion, if challenged.
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