Michael Avenatti called former President Donald Trump's New York trial the "wrong case at the wrong time," Breitbart reported. Avenatti, who is Trump's former attorney, said this from California's Terminal Island Prison, where he is serving time for theft, tax fraud, and other crimes.
Speaking to MSNBC's The Beat Tuesday, Avenatti contended that the case centers on an old charge that will likely not stick. "I think what I’m about to say is going to surprise a lot of people and that is that I think this is the wrong case at the wrong time," Avenatti told host Ari Melber.
"I think that the case is, in many ways, stale at this juncture. You’re talking about conduct that occurred some eight years ago," Trump's former attorney pointed out.
"I think the fact that it’s occurring in state court in New York is a mistake. And I think that when you are going to potentially deprive tens of millions of Americans of their choice for the presidency of the United States, whether we agree with those folks or not or regardless of what we may think of Donald Trump, I think it’s a mistake to do it based on a case of this nature," Avenatti said.
Avenatti went on to express a concern many have about the trial's venue. "I don’t think he can get a fair trial in New York," he said.
"And to the people who claim that, in fact, he can get a fair trial in New York with a New York jury, I would ask them if they were to go to sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow and found out that the case had been moved to Mississippi or Alabama, would they still think the trial was going to be fair? I think if they were being honest, they would answer no," Avenatti said.
The convicted felon was careful to point out that he did not object to Trump being prosecuted but had other concerns. "I advocated for the indictment of then-sitting President Trump," Avenatti said.
"I stand by that 100%. I advocated for federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to bring campaign finance charges. The problem I have with this case now is, first of all, cases are not like fine red wine, Ari," Avenatti told Melber.
"They don’t get better with age. And this case hasn’t gotten better with age," he went on. "Number two, I don’t believe this case belongs in state court, and I think it rests on a legally tenuous theory. Namely, that the crime that was attempted to be covered up was a federal election crime. I think that could be a problem potentially on appeal," Avenatti concluded.
The consequences of this case will have a ripple effect beyond Trump's ultimate fate. The case goes on despite it being riddled with obvious problems which hint at a purely political prosecution.
Judge Juan Merchan has not recused himself despite an obvious conflict stemming from his daughter's business ties to powerful Democrats, the New York Post reported. "It would be completely unacceptable to most New Yorkers if the judge presiding over these proceedings had an adult child who worked at WinRed or MAGA Inc.," Trump's attorneys argued.
"Personal political views may not be a basis for recusal. But profiting from the promotion of a political agenda that is hostile to President Trump and has included fundraising solicitations based on this case must be," they added.
The judge has refused calls to step down after it came to light that his daughter was hired to create marketing materials for Democrats that included anti-Trump messaging. Allowing this case to go on as is will have dire consequences for the nation, including creating mistrust of the justice system.
Avenatti is correct that Trump's trial is doomed from the start in many ways. What remains to be seen is how Americans will respond to the entire situation at the ballot box in the 2024 presidential election.
