Avenatti in prison interview: Trump ‘will be convicted’ in hush money trial   

Former lawyer Michael Avenatti predicted Tuesday that former President Trump will be found guilty in his hush money trial in New York, which is scheduled to begin next week.

Asked in an interview from prison what he thought was “wrong” about the case, Avenatti told MSNBC’s Ari Melber that he believed Trump would be convicted in the hush money trial. he said.

“You know, I think there are a lot of problems with this case. It’s not right now, but I’m not going to say that means Mr. Trump won’t be convicted, because he won’t be found guilty.” Because I think it will,” Avenatti said.

The former president faces 34 charges of falsifying business records related to payments made by former fixer Michael Cohen to porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. It is being said.

Avenatti, Daniels’ former lawyer, is currently in prison for stealing book proceeds from a former client. Last month, an appeals court suspended Daniels’ 2022 sentence of four years in prison, requiring him to pay $148,000 in restitution and forfeit about $297,000 that prosecutors say he stole from Daniels. Ta.

Avenatti said in an interview that the case should not be heard in state court.

“And I think it’s based on a legally tenuous theory, the theory that the crime they were trying to cover up was a federal election crime. That could potentially be an issue in an appeal against the state. I think so,” he said.

The former lawyer later reiterated that he believes Trump will be convicted, but that a likely appeal could mean it won’t hold up.

“And I think if Trump is convicted, it’s going to be tested on appeal. And I also think he’s going to be convicted. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to last,” he said. Told.

“If you’re going to litigate a case against a current or former president who is supported by tens of millions of people, I think you need to be solid, especially in these divided times.” A tightly locked and almost perfectly prosecuted case. Because if we don’t, we’re taking a big risk in terms of what that means for the country,” he added.

The hush money trial is still scheduled to begin on April 15 after a New York judge rejected an argument by Trump’s lawyers to further delay the trial.