Michael Avenatti releases documents alleging Nike paid top NCAA recruits

[sandensea]

Source: Sporting News

Attorney Michael Avenatti claimed Saturday that Nike "bribed over 100 basketball players" in a bid to influence them to attend colleges with Nike contracts.

Avenatti, who was arrested last month for allegedly trying to extort more than $20 million from Nike by threatening to release damaging information, also suggested via Twitter that Duke star Zion Williamson's mother received "consulting" fees from Nike as a "bribe" to influence his decision to attend Duke, which has a Nike contract.

The celebrity attorney released dozens of documents via DropBox allegedly showing evidence that Nike made payments to associates of former Arizona star Deandre Ayton (now with the Phoenix Suns), Oregon's Bol Bol and former UNLV player Brandon McCoy.

Avenatti noted in a tweet: "Nike should be criminally indicted on well over 200 counts and should also explain why they misled their investors/the SEC. If I'm lying or the docs are not legit, I challenge Nike to issue a stmt claiming no bribes were ever paid. Just Do It Nike!"

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk/michael-avenatti-releases-documents-alleging-nike-paid-top-ncaa-recruits/ar-BBVGpxE

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Attorney Michael Avenatti and Phoenix Suns star forward Deandre Ayton.

Documents released today by Avenatti suggest Nike engaged in a wide-reaching bribery scheme involving Ayton and others - a charge Nike describes as extortion on his part.

[ProudLib72]

1. Avenatti 2020!

[Dr Hobbitstein]

3. No. nt

[jberryhill]

18. Bwahhhhahhhahhaha

Because we might as well elect another crook.

[ProudLib72]

31. I can't help myself jberry

He's the Dem mirror of the Rump: sleazy, manipulative, and I don't really believe he's a Dem.

[jmowreader]

2. Why, Mr. Avenatti, should we believe any of this?

Sorry folks, I don't believe extortionists.

[ancianita]

4. Burden of proof of extortion is on Nike. I believe Avenatti's got the evidence of Nike corruption.nt

[oldsoftie]

22. Since they have him on tape threatening to release the info if they dont pay, they've got it.

[ancianita]

28. Crap. nt

[customerserviceguy]

37. Probably

This is why a damned pair of sneakers costs so much. But that's only if you're willing to pay for name-brand crap that is made in Third World sweatshops by children.

[vsrazdem]

5. Well, the paper trail in his drop box does not look good for Nike.

[EveHammond13]

6. even if he is right, is this the way a reputable lawyer handles such things?

[More_Cowbell]

11. No.

He tried to extort Nike to enter into contracts with him and his associates. Someone who believes that Nike is gaming the system, and exploiting kids, wouldn't do that.

It doesn't make his claims untrue. In fact, in my mind it makes them more likely to be true. Just not the way an ethical lawyer works (I am a member of a state bar myself, non practicing).

[jberryhill]

16. No. He just wanted money to cover it up

...under the pretense of being hired as a consultant.

He wasn’t representing anyone with a claim of damages against them.

He’s just a cowardly grifter.

[onenote]

26. +1

[FBaggins]

54. Exactly

He was perfectly willing to help them get away with it if they just paid him.

Classic shakedown.

[jberryhill]

56. And, to be fair

...if he had a client with a claim of $X against them for some reason, then agreeing to settle a claim for $X on behalf of that client is fine. A side effect of such settlement may be that the claim goes away and doesn't become a public embarrassment to either party.

But that is very different from "you committed a crime, pay me $X as a phoney-baloney consultant, and it all goes away". That doesn't have anything to do with a client's claim or a client's interest, for that matter.

[forgotmylogin]

35. No. However, an entity who is a victim of extortion or blackmail

does not and should not receive a free pass for the crimes they may have been blackmailed about.

Investigating one crime can potentially unlock others.

[ripcord]

7. If this was actually what Avenatti threatened Nike with

The prosecutors and probably the judge will not like him following through with his extortion threat, I predict the Bar Association to take action also.

[Kablooie]

8. If he really was extorting Nike I would think the bar would cancel his license...

whether he released the info or not.

[cstanleytech]

12. On the other hand it could be argued they claimed extortion to try and silence him.

[Socal31]

14. Uh no.

Extortion is a crime regardless of the accuracy and illegality of the information that one is threatening to expose.

[jberryhill]

17. Ummmm...

The problem is that the subject of the extortion it was laid out in charging document.

[mahina]

33. And I'm guessing Nike won't be hiring him now, not that they ever would have.

All of it makes me want to take another shower.

[rockfordfile]

9. I wouldn't be surprised

[mathematic]

10. Glad those kids got paid n/t

[Igel]

38. And at the same time,

it's just more corruption in higher ed.

I wonder if any of the bribery money paid to get financially entitled kids into college was recycled into bribing these, um, kids to go to those colleges.

Corruption's corruption.

Skewed playing field's a skewed playing field.

[Socal31]

13. He stole money from a disabled client.

Hope he enjoys prison.

[bitterross]

15. It's sad to see it confirmed that he's just another jerk attorney

I really wanted to like him when he was representing Stormy and hitting at Trump all the time. He always seemed a little slimy to me but I ignored it because he was bashing Trump pretty good.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

55. Everything aside, he was the quickest, sharpest with

The trump comebacks. We need that now. I'd like to see every Dem who wants to run against trump in a contest of wit. If you have no game you're out.

[LuvLoogie]

59. Nancy is way better at it than him. So is Al Franken. So is Rosie O'Donnell. So is Hillary.

I remain skeptical of Mr. Avenatti.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

60. You have got to be kidding me????

[MichMan]

19. What is his basis for going after Nike so vigorously?

I have not heard that it was on behalf of a client. Just a personal vendetta or a shakedown?

[watoos]

20. OT, but I wouldn't buy a shoe from Nike,

if it were the only shoe company in the world. I would go barefoot first. Yeah I know the other shoe companies are just as bad. I bought New Balance because they were made in America, I bought Red Wing boots because they were made in America but even those companies are making products overseas now.

[oldsoftie]

23. I think certain ones are still made here

[TexasBushwhacker]

32. Yes, some New Balance are

https://www.newbalance.com/made-in-us-and-uk/?ecid=ps_google_new%20balance%20made%20in%20usa_e_621649424_6067&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAjwv6blBRBzEiwAihbM-ZRyWfbxyiGqI1XG16W2zagwSmFijSdvB2ixYDWHucRo05PEGemHjBoCPDcQAvD_BwE

[oldsoftie]

34. Thanks!

[Kaleva]

36. I couldn't afford their shoes even if I wanted a pair.

[FreeState]

41. I still boycott New Balance

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/i-will-never-buy-new-balance-shoes-again?source=gplus

[Gothmog]

21. Who cares?

No one is paying attention to this person

[FM123]

24. Good, expose it all.

Sure, Avenatti is no boy scout - but Nike bribing over 100 basketball players in a bid to influence them over college decisions is NOT okay!

[vsrazdem]

25. I agree. Avenatti is no boy scout with questionable scruples, but Nike bribing players is no better

than parents bribing colleges.

[get the red out]

53. Agree!

Just fellow pigs wallowing in the same mud.

[Honeycombe8]

27. He needs to go away. nt

[DirtEdonE]

29. Nike! It's worse than the college admissions scandal!

LOFL - if it's sports, it's OK.

Even though the college admission scandal used sports teams to sneak some of their candidates in via sports they never even played.

I'm sensing a theme here. The problem with higher education in America today just might have something to do with sports.

[StillFeelingTheBern]

30. This guy is the worst

the worst thing to happen to the democratic party in years

ETA- nothing to do with this topic. I just cant stand this guy

[LenaBaby61]

52. "This guy is the worst thing to happen to the democratic party in years."

Uh no 😳😳

These things HERE (And especially the big, fat, brain-damaged, treasonous, sexist, grifting, racist, orange, old smelly one 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 are even worse threats to HUMANITY:

[Politicub]

39. He's had his 15 minutes of fame

Wish he would just go away.

[AlwaysRandy]

40. My jury is still out on Avenatti

He was the first one to stand up to Trump and Cohen. I don't understand all of the criticism for him. His nightly appearances on TV made the Mueller appointment happen. And the SDNY cases were instigated by Avenatti. My read is that he will come out on top.

[MichMan]

45. What about the charges he is facing in California ?

Stole money that was awarded to his clients and kept it for himself.

[AlwaysRandy]

61. thank you for responding --I have not seen Avenatti wrong--but if he was

he has admitted it ----and the charges in California are just that ----they are not convictions Avenatti said Cohen is going to jail and will be disbarred ---over a year ago--Avaenatti was pressing the case against Cohen/Trump-----and then a reporter asked Trump on Air Force One what he knew about it----Trump said ask Michael Cohen within days there was a raid on Cohen's office------I think that was caused by Avenatti ---Stormy Daniels and Michael Avenatti are unlikely heroes. But their odd partnership might turn out to create the clearest path to accountability at the highest levels of government. We should be grateful for their efforts.--this article says it better than I can----please read it and let me know what you think----and again thank you for responding -----https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/05/18/donald-trump-michael-avenatti-mueller-investigation-218403

[Judi Lynn]

42. It never did seem he is stupid enough to involve himself in extortion.

This should be really interesting as it unfolds.

Thank you for the information, sandensea.

[sandensea]

44. You're welcome, Judi.

I certainly hope he doesn't turn out to be an extortionist in the way d'Alessio was for Macri.

If Avenatti found real wrongdoing by Nike, he's brave to come forward like this; if not, he should do us all a favor and make himself scarce.

We'll see where this goes.

[jberryhill]

48. He's obviously that stupid

He's been running his law practice like a Ponzi scheme and pretty much needed that $20 million well before now.

The fact that he's got dirt on Nike doesn't change the fact that his plan was to extort them. In fact, it demonstrates that, yes, he did have something to extort them over.

[WhoWoodaKnew]

43. Here's the deal. Some coaches try to play by the rules...

and the ones that cheat usually keep their jobs and the ones that don't (unless they're legends) don't last as long.

So it's not totally unlike what Trump does. I'm not good with cheating regardless of the industry.

[CrispyQ]

46. Oh Michael, your 15 minutes are over!

Go away!

[ck4829]

50. Hmmm....

[unblock]

51. kinda makes a big part of the prosecution's case against him, doesn't it?

obviously, making a threat to release embarrassing information is a key part of an extortion case, and the prosecution still has to demonstrate this.

but this proves that he had embarrassing information and that he might release it, at least under certain conditions.

[jberryhill]

57. Indeed, he should find a lawyer

He has proven "if you don't pay me, I'll go public with it". He didn't get paid, and he went public.

That is distinguishable from simply going public, without first stopping to see how much they'll pay.

The "it" being, pointedly, evidence of criminal activity, and nothing involving an actual civil monetary claim on behalf of a client.

[Blue_Tires]

62. Good... Duke has skated for far too long...