CNN is once again absorbing body blows in another major credibility scandal.
All hell is breaking loose and the troubles are all of CNN’s own creation.
And a CNN star just got sentenced to this jaw-dropping prison sentence.
Manhattan District Court Federal Judge Paul Gardephe sentenced former Stormy Daniels lawyer and prominent CNN guest Michael Avenatti to 30 months in prison as part of a scheme to extort the sneaker giant Nike out of 25 million dollars.
This sentence shocked prosecutors who asked the judge to sentence Avenatti to 9 to 11 years in prison.
Avenatti threatened to expose an alleged pay-for-play scheme involving top college basketball players unless Nike forked over millions.
“Mr. Avenatti’s conduct was outrageous,” Judge Gardephe stated. “He hijacked his client’s claims, and he used him to further his own agenda, which was to extort Nike millions of dollars for himself.”
The high school coach Avenatti represented also felt betrayed by Avenatti using him to extort money and the judge blasted Avenatti for that professional betrayal.
Judge Gardephe also noted that Avenatti’s prominent media platform – Avenatti appeared 108 times on CNN out of 254 total media appearances – inflated Avenatti’s ego and made him feel like he could break the law with impunity.
“He outright betrayed his client,” Judge Gardephe continued. “Mr. Avenatti had become drunk on the power of his platform, or what he perceived the power of his platform to be.”
In court for his sentencing hearing, Avenatti was far from the swashbuckling figure he cut on TV as he claimed to have the evidence to lead to Donald Trump’s impeachment and subsequent criminal conviction.
“I am truly sorry for all of the pain I caused,” Avenatti began.
“I alone have destroyed my career, my relationships and my life. And there is no doubt I need to pay,” Avenatti concluded.
Avenatti burst on to scene representing porn star Stormy Daniels claiming Donald Trump paid Daniels a $130,000 hush money payment in October 2016 to keep her quiet about a one-night stand from a decade prior.
The corporate media – especially CNN – bought a ticket on the Avenatti train featuring him on a nearly nightly basis as Avenatti claimed this payment would end the Trump presidency and land Trump in prison.
But in the end Democrats never even used the allegation in their impeachment sham and prosecutors only charged Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for the payment.
Avenatti then resurfaced in 2018 parading Julie Swetnick and her false claims that Brett Kavanaugh attended parties where drunk boys gang-raped Swetnick.
The media bought this falsehood hook, line and sinker until the lie collapsed.
CNN and the rest of the corporate media created Michael Avenatti.
And they may have hastened Avenatti’s downfall as well.
The judge claimed Avenatti’s media platform made him feel invincible and increased the urge to break the law thinking he could get away with anything.
But this is not the end of Avenatti’s legal trouble.
Avenatti is still facing financial fraud charges in both New York and Los Angeles.
So, this light prison sentence may not mean Avenatti gets off easy.
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