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It’s the morning of closing arguments in Michael Avenatti’s Stormy Daniels trial here at 500 Pearl Street in Manhattan. This will be the first time Avenatti’s given a closing argument, after his mistrial in California last summer. Check back here for updates. ⚖️🧵⚖️ 
Avenatti is under tight restrictions in his closing, with U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman threatening to make him refer to himself in the third person if he injects testimony into his closing that would only be appropriate if he’d taken the stand in his defense, which he didn’t.
One thing - that “It depends on how you define a bill” answer Avenatti gave when Furman asked if he’d ever billed Stormy. I think he was referring to that list of case costs he sent her after they parted ways in February 2019 after she realized he’s taken her book deal money.
Today’s the day Stormy Daniels is to take the stand in Michael Avenatti’s criminal fraud trial in Manhattan. She could be on the stand by 11 am EST. Prosecutors estimate her direct exam will be three hours, so it’s possible Avenatti will start cross this afternoon. ⚖️🧵⚖️
I expect to hear more during Avenatti’s cross of Stormy about this $100k hush payment Avenatti said yesterday the firm paid to suppress a compromising video of Stormy on the eve of the @60Minutes interview.
The paralegal yesterday didn’t recall the payment, which Avenatti said went to Bubba the Love Sponge. But we heard no details about how a porn actress could have a compromising video of her out there somewhere. What is Stormy doing in this video? Studying algebra?
It’s the 2nd day of testimony in Michael Avenatti’s Stormy Daniels trial in Manhattan, and book agent Luke Janklow of @JanklowNesbit is to take the stand again at 9. We saw a ton of messages yesterday between Janklow and Avenatti that highlighted how smitten Janklow was with him.
Avenatti instructed Janklow not to discuss money with Stormy, and he obeyed for months and months, running all her correspondence by Avenatti and ignoring her at his request.
Janklow even testified he asked Avenatti’s permission to call Stormy on the eve of book publication to congratulate her like he does all his clients. He wasn’t asked what Avenatti said, but he was asked if he ended up congratulating Stormy, and he said he doesn’t think he did.
