Thread by @innercitypress

OK - US v. Avenatti, Stormy Daniels trial, Day 1. Her agent on the witness stand, describing wirings of $800,000 from St. Martin's Press. Inner City Press has been covering the case(s) innercitypress.com/unsealedsdny27… and will live tweet, thread below

Assistant US Attorney: Was Ms. Daniels aware of the referral fee?
Federal Defender: Objection, calls for speculation.
AUSA: Was the referral fee every put in writing?
Stormy's agent Lucas Janklow: No.

AUSA: On Mr. Avenatti's book, was he paid beyond the one part of the advance?
Janklow: No.
AUSA: Why not?
Federal Defender: Objection, your Honor, 401. May be approach?
[Whispered sidebar]

[They're back]
AUSA: What's this email about?
Janklow: Wiring instructions.
AUSA: What did you use it for?
Janklow: Wiring Stormy her money. The directions were coming from her lawyer, Mr. Avenatti.

AUSA Podolsky: Do you see the bottom of this email exchange?
Janklow: I do.
AUSA: Did you send this after speaking to Mr. Avenatti?
Federal Defender: Objection! Leading!
Judge Furman: Sustained.

AUSA: Pull up exhibits 207 and 208. Do you see the bottom of 207, the to-do list asap?
Janklow: I do.
AUSA: And 208?
Janklow: It's about the second payment.

AUSA: Did you believe Ms. Daniels signed this?
Janklow: I did, because it came from her lawyer.
AUSA: Did you ever speak to Ms. Daniels about this?
Janklow: No, Mr. Avenatti told me to never speak to her about money... He said she got confused

Janklow: Ms. Daniels was not supposed to do any publicity prior to the book coming out. But she did this big Dutch TV interview. The publisher was mad. Mr. Avenatti said to speed up payments to her, that she had money problems.

Judge Furman giving the US v. Avenatti jurors a break. Inner City Press rushing back over to Palin v. NYT, which is NOT starting today due to three positive COVID tests by Palin:

https://twitter.com/innercitypress/status/1485648646574071813

OK, the jurors are back from their break.
AUSA Podolsky: Who wrote the text in the green bubble, and in the gray bubble?
Janklow: Myself, and Mr. Avenatti. I wrote, Stormy money was in, the third payment, we'll send it out, we missed the bank deadline for today.

Janklow: Then I texted Mr. Avenatti that Stormy WhatsApp-ed me, wanting to talk.
AUSA: Why did you tell him?
Janklow: He wanted me too. He wanted to control all that.
Federal Defender: Objection
Judge: Sustained. Mr. Janklow can't opine as to Mr. Avenatti's mind

AUSA: We introduce a copy of Ms. Daniels' book. To congratulate her about it, Mr. Janklow, did you call Ms. Daniels?
Janklow: I asked Mr. Avenatti if I should.
AUSA: And did you?
Janklow: I don't believe I did.

AUSA: Mr. Janklow, who was StormyDanielsPR?
Janklow: A Mister Denver.
AUSA: And who was he?
Janklow: I believe there was a romantic relationship. He was also the director of the documentary they were working on together.

AUSA: Did you tell Mr. Avenatti about the email you were forwarded from StormyDanielsPR?
Janklow: I did. Mr. Avenatti said he would take care of it.

AUSA: What happened next?
Janklow: Denver Nicks wrote to us and said Stormy Daniels believes she was owed the third payment and wanted to be contacted.
AUSA: What did you do with it?
Janklow: I forwarded it to Mr. Avenatti.

Janklow: Then I wrote to him, I understand your ability to smooth this, but I still am not comfortable about blanking a client about money... Michael told him on the phone he would handle it.
AUSA: How did he sound? What was his tone?
Janklow: Urgent. Forceful.

Janklow: Mr. Avenatti told me he was talking to the Cook County DA and would call me back. I told him I was being double teamed by Stormy and Denver Nicks, that this was bulls*it.

Janklow: Avenatti wrote back, "It's my birthday as well, I've been dealing with this his all day." I assume he meant sh*t, but he wrote his.

Janklow: Then Stormy told me, Michael is no longer my attorney. Please do not discuss my business with him. I told her, That's disappointing. Have you told Michael?

OK - now cross examination of Janklow by Avenatti's publicly-funded Federal Defender (FD).
FD: You met with the prosecutors yesterday, right?
Janklow: Yes.
FD: You told the truth, correct?
Janklow: I did.
FD: The US asked if you had any problems with Ms. Daniels?

Janklow: I said I had no problems with her.
FD: Did she accuse you of withholding royalties from her?
Janklow: There are no royalties.
FD: What about the cover?
Janklow: She wanted to use her mugshot. Then she didn't.

FD: Do you remember writing to Mr. Avenatti, Not everyone is a stone-cold motherf*cking professional like us?
AUSA: Objection!

FD: So you said, If she wanted to be anything more than a stripper, she --
Janklow: That's not what I said.
FD: So what did you say?
Janklow: That she was a feminist icon.
FD: You said you weren't sure she wanted anything different.
Janklow: I was sad about that.

FD: Who are the "fu*king deluded clowns" you were referring to?
Janklow: Denver Nicks.
FD: And Stormy?
Janklow: Not necessarily. She was hurt. She was scared. She collapsed when the book came out. I wrote, "She's going to sink this, it's hard to watch."

FD: You're a book agent. So you read a lot. What did you mean, "If you want to unleash me"?
Janklow: What I wanted to talk to Stormy.
FD: And reprimand her?
Janklow: Just talk with her.

FD: You said, Dealing with Stormy is a f*cking nightmare, right?
Janklow: About publicity, yes. I was trying to reassure St. Martin's that the PR would go OK.
FD: You invited Mr. Avenatti?
Janklow: Of course.

[A problem has developed with the jurors' screens. Thread will continue - Inner City Press is going to out to check the sex cult case of Larry Ray, who was threatening to remain in jail and not come to court at 2 pm:

https://twitter.com/innercitypress/status/1485673069234593806

We're back.
FD: Mr. Janklow, you wrote, So she wants to sink the whole thing because of this moronic as*hole. Which as*hole?
Janklow: Denver Nicks, the amateur documentarian.

FD: Where did you first meet Mr. Avenatti?
Janklow: At a hotel bar. I was introduced to Mr. Avenatti by Anderson Cooper.
FD: What's this?
Janklow: An email between Anderson Cooper, Mr. Avenatti and me. Just after Mr. Avenatti sued President Trump. I liked that.

FD: So on March 13, the day after you met him, you sent Mr. Avenatti the contact info for meetings with two publishers, MacMillan's imprints Holt & St Martin?
Janklow: Yes. I didn't remember it as being so fast.

FD: So why did they want Ms. Daniels to have a press blackout?
Janklow: So that the public would want more, wouldn't be saturated.
FD: And Mr. Avenatti assured Ms. Richardson of St. Martin that he would work on that Stormy Daniels' media blackout?
AUSA: Objection

FD: Richardson was getting heat from her legal department?
Janklow: I don't recall.
FD: Here's defense exhibit R5. You say, We are moving toward the close we want, and Sally is getting pressure, 'pus*y squares of the highest order."

FD: What does that mean?
Janklow: The bureaucratic side of the business. Business affairs. Belt and suspenders type people. They wanted radio silence from Ms. Daniels, since they were buying her story.

Judge Furman: We'll stop here for the day. Jurors, if you see any news of this, close your browser.
Stories soon on InnerCityPress.com and patreon.com/MatthewRussell…

With jury done, Federal Defenders cite a 1989 Supreme Court case. Janklow is still in the witness box, sans mask. He's asked to leave. Judge Furman says, Other than boring him, I don't see why he should stay. But he steps out- as will we, to see if Avenatti speaks

Update: Judge Furman orders that Janklow should not speak with anyone about his testimony - including his own lawyer, from Skadden Arps. Says may reverse that in docket. Avenatti, still at defense table, passes note to Federal Defender.

Federal Defender then complains that he got 3500 material about US meeting the Janklow earlier today. Judge Furman: 3500 only has to be given at conclusion of direct examination and they complied. Plus you can prepare over night. Email chambers your COVID results

Now after a scheduling discussion they're done, Judge Furman is done. Avenatti still in the courtroom with big gray briefcase. Inner City Press rushing down to see if Avenatti speaks, as before, on Worth Street. Story later