Michael Avenatti claims Trump is being targeted in the hush money case and portrays him as a victim of the system.

Michael Avenatti, once considered Trump's greatest adversary, believes the hush money case against him in New York is biased, politically motivated, and part of a larger effort to prevent him from running for president in 2024.

Avenatti made this claim in a phone interview with Planet Chronicle Digital while in federal prison.

"I never thought I would say this, but I see him as a victim of the system," he said. "If Michael Avenatti is defending him, despite our significant differences, it should be taken as evidence of his innocence."

The former attorney for Stormy Daniels, who was once considering a White House run but was later convicted of multiple crimes, believes the four criminal cases Trump is currently facing while running for president in 2024 are excessive and an attempt to prevent the American people from choosing between him and President Biden.

"A group of individuals in the United States believes they are qualified to determine who should be the next president and have decided not to leave it to the "little guy." They are taking matters into their own hands to prevent those individuals from being heard, which is deeply disturbing and disgusting."

If you believe in democracy, he says, "this should be settled through an election." Trump is also facing charges of election interference in Georgia, as well as federal election interference and mishandling of classified documents.

"These prosecutors are trying to gain recognition by pursuing high-profile cases. Their ultimate goal is to become governors or presidents, according to Avenatti, who considers Fani Willis in Georgia to be a grandstander. Avenatti expressed his disgust at the fact that many people on the left are accepting this behavior because the defendant is Donald Trump."

Avenatti, a prisoner at minimum-security Terminal Island federal prison in California, has communicated with the Trump defense team about the possibility of testifying in the New York case and claims he would tell the truth if summoned to the stand, according to a source close to the Trump legal team.

Last week, Trump's trial began with 34 charges of falsifying business records in the first degree. The case centers on the allegation that he improperly reimbursed former lawyer Michael Cohen for a $130,000 payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump, which Trump denies.

"If the defendant was anyone other than Donald Trump, this stale case would not be being brought right now, according to Avenatti. He has definitely been targeted, and there is no question that these prosecutors are trying to make a name for themselves."

Trump, the first ex-president to face criminal charges, has labeled the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against him as "political persecution." The allegations in the case are not related to a hush money payment but rather to Trump's campaign expenditure exceeding legal limits, which he failed to report properly.

In 2018, Avenatti gained national attention by representing Daniels in a lawsuit against Trump to challenge the non-disclosure agreement she signed regarding their alleged affair. That year, Avenatti was a frequent guest on cable news, giving hundreds of interviews and frequently attacking Trump on social media.

Avenatti frequently predicted that Trump wouldn't complete his first term in office, and he and Daniels gained media attention, eventually posing for a Vogue photo shoot. He also appeared as a guest co-host on ABC's "The View," conducted interviews with Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher, and considered running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

The renowned lawyer's reputation crumbled in a matter of years, leading to his imprisonment for 19 years on charges of financial crimes, including attempting to extort Nike for $25 million, embezzling funds from clients, evading taxes, and stealing $300,000 from a book advance from Daniels.

Numerous lawyers have labeled Avenatti as a "repeated con artist" and a "corrupt attorney who falsely claimed to champion the underdog."

Daniels and his former lawyer have had a falling out since their 2018 partnership, with Daniels admitting he used his powers for "evil" and the lawyer never trusting him, only hiring him because he was the only lawyer who would take an adult film star's case.

In an affidavit obtained by Planet Chronicle Digital in 2023, Avenatti described Daniels as erratic, temperamental, and unstable.

He stated that if Stormy Daniels was standing in a convent on a stack of Bibles with her tongue notarized and claiming the earth was flat, he wouldn't believe it. He then added that he dropped her as a client in 2019 instead of the other way around.

Clark Brewster, Daniels' attorney, stated in a statement that Avenatti was not a trustworthy source, citing his conviction for stealing from his own clients, including Daniels.

"Mr. Avenatti's representation was terminated by Ms. Daniels after she consulted me and discovered his forgery of her name and embezzlement of her funds. Prior to his termination, he publicly lauded Ms. Daniels' courage, honesty, and consistency. He is now a thrice convicted felon for fraud, repeated acts of dishonesty, and extortion. His recent desperate attempts to seek relevance from his prison home are pitiful."

Avenatti stated that he had witnessed the unfairness of "the system" through his own harsh sentencing for his crimes, which he attributed to being Trump's enemy. Although he disagreed with Trump on almost everything, he believed that he deserved due process and criticized the gag order against Trump in New York, imposed by Judge Juan Merchan.

"The former president of the United States shared with Planet Chronicle Digital his understanding of the powerlessness one feels when the government comes after them, regardless of their intelligence or resources. He believes that what is happening to Trump right now is wrong and outrageous, and that this is more important to him than any political views or affiliations."