President Donald Trump wrote a tweet Wednesday morning that mocked the news that a judge has rejected a plea from convicted lawyer Michael Avenatti to be released from jail because of the risk he could contract the coronavirus.
“Gee, that’s too bad. Such a fine guy. Presidential aspirations you know!” the president wrote on Twitter.
U.S. District Court Judge James Selna turned down Avenatti’s claims that pneumonia he came down with last September places him in severe danger of contracting the coronavirus if it starts to spread through jails, such as the Manhattan detention center where he is currently imprisoned, Politico reported.
Avenatti, who was convicted last month on charges of trying to extort Nike and is facing other federal charges, also said that his cellmate was recently removed after having a fever and a severe cough.
Selna wrote in his decision that Avenatti’s concerns about his health did not justify his release, saying “The Bureau of Prisons and MCC specifically have taken substantial steps to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. MCC has moved ‘at-risk’ prisoners, which presumably includes Avenatti, to a separate unit.”
Avenatti is best known for filing a lawsuit two years ago against Trump on behalf of adult film star Stormy Daniels, seeking to void a non-disclosure deal reached just before the 2016 presidential election that appeared meant to hush up claims she and Trump had sex.
Avenatti’s profile rose considerably and he even considered for a short time running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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