Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Michael Avenatti claims alleged Nike extortion was free speech
NY Post ^ | August 19 2019 | Emily Saul

Posted on 08/19/2019 11:09:09 PM PDT by knighthawk

Lightning-rod lawyer Michael Avenatti was merely exercising his First Amendment rights when he demanded $22.5 million from Nike — not extorting them, his attorneys argue in new court papers.

“Mr. Avenatti is being charged with a speech crime,” his attorneys Scott Srebnick and Jose Quinon wrote in yet another attempt to convince a Manhattan federal judge to toss his extortion charges. “Every one of the acts of speech attributed to Mr. Avenatti in the Indictment was independently lawful and independently protected by the First Amendment. He had the right to publicly expose truthful information about Nike’s misconduct.”

Avenatti was indicted earlier this year on charges that he allegedly tried to shake down the sportswear giant for more than $20 million while threatening to publicize a pay-to-play scheme within Nike — unless they hired him to conduct an internal investigation and forked over funds to his client, a former Nike staffer.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: michaelavenatti; nike

1 posted on 08/19/2019 11:09:09 PM PDT by knighthawk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: knighthawk

Yeah good luck with that one. How’d this guy get a law license? Threaten his professors for passing grades and have someone else take the bar exam in his name?


2 posted on 08/19/2019 11:54:18 PM PDT by thoughtomator (... this has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: knighthawk

Frankly, I’d like to see a kangaroo court fine Nike. These a$$ holes had it coming sponsoring and empowering the like of rats like Avennatti. Same thing with now Trump having to rescue eff’in Amazon from socialist France taxing them in discrimination. What the he!! do these tech giants think they are doing shtting on loyal AMericans and promoting this self hating self destructive left wing sht for a quick buck. THey are insane and aborting themselves with abortion


3 posted on 08/20/2019 12:08:31 AM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security in hatse:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thoughtomator

In partial defense of Avanatti, he hasn’t really done much that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton haven’t been doing for years. I think them putting a supposed non-profit between them and the companies they shook down was the big difference but in the end, it was much the same thing. Avanatti needed cash for his crumbling pyramid scheme.


4 posted on 08/20/2019 12:20:35 AM PDT by 1L
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: knighthawk

The original Mooch. The media has a new runt darling with better hair.


5 posted on 08/20/2019 12:32:31 AM PDT by mindburglar (Stupid is supposed to hurt. - Lurkers Granddad.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 1L

Should have known he didn’t meet the melanin threshold for getting away with that kind of scam.


6 posted on 08/20/2019 12:46:57 AM PDT by thoughtomator (... this has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: thoughtomator; 1L
Should have known he didn’t meet the melanin threshold for getting away with that kind of scam.

That’s kind of what I was thinking too. Only Jesse, Al, and a few others can get away with this. 😁

7 posted on 08/20/2019 1:16:24 AM PDT by Mark17 (Once saved, always saved. I am an Ephesians 2:8-9 kind of guy. It is a beautiful thing. Enjoy it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: knighthawk

ROFL - extortion is just freedom of speech! Yeah, that’s the ticket. Oooh, I hate when that happens...


8 posted on 08/20/2019 1:50:20 AM PDT by monkeyshine (live and let live is dead)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: knighthawk

Stealing from Nekkid Stormy was also free speech, sez Creepy Porn Lawyer.


9 posted on 08/20/2019 5:30:13 AM PDT by kiryandil (The Media & the DNC tells you who you're gonna vote for. We CHOSE Trump.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson