Tag Archive for: Michael Avenatti

Hassan Whiteside caught up in weird story

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Is Michael Avenatti corrupt enough to run for President yet?

The attorney, who became famous by representing Donald Trump-associated porn star Stormy Daniels — and for oddly tweeting “basta!” all the time — was thinking about running for the White House. Lately, he’s had to run from the law, with a number of corruption and embezzlement and tax fraud allegations about him.

But this?

How exactly did Heat center Hassan Whiteside get caught up in this?

I mean, read the headline of that again.

Could that be any more 2019?

Allegedly, it happened nearly three years ago, not long after Whiteside signing his mega-max contract to remain in Miami.

And it’s a confusing tale.

Here’s the full story, in the Los Angeles Times….

LINK.

And here’s an excerpt:

When Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat wired $2.75 million to Michael Avenatti in January 2017, the pro basketball player intended most of the money to go to his former girlfriend, Alexis Gardner.

Avenatti was Gardner’s attorney. An actress and barista, she’d hired him just a few weeks before to negotiate a settlement of a potential lawsuit against Whiteside. It’s unclear what she would have alleged. Avenatti quickly struck a $3 million deal, and the $2.75 million was Whiteside’s first payment. Avenatti, prosecutors say, was entitled to take just over $1 million in legal fees, leaving the rest for Gardner. Instead, they allege, Avenatti hid Whiteside’s payment from her and immediately took $2.5 million to buy a share of a private jet.

Here’s more…

Gardner’s settlement with Whiteside — Avenatti never gave her a copy — required the basketball player to pay her $2.75 million in January 2017, then the remaining $250,000 on Nov. 1, 2020, the indictment says.

Whiteside wired the $2.75 million on Jan. 25, 2017, to a client trust account at Eagan Avenatti. Rather than taking his fee of about $1 million, plus expenses, Avenatti kept all the money and misrepresented the settlement’s terms to Gardner, according to the indictment.

Black Sports Online had his own reaction, and we’re including it, only because Robert Littal loves using the phrase “side chick.”

Avenatti, by the way, has responded, as he always does:

I look forward to ALL of the details coming out regarding Hassan Whiteside’s settlement, the money received by the client, the money deducted for fees and costs, etc. and the reason why he paid the money. I especially look forward to the inquiry by the and its commissioner.

Basta!

Or something.