Supreme Court Denies Avenatti Appeal for Identity Theft

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Michael Avenatti's appeal to overturn his 2022 conviction for aggravated identity theft involving nearly $300,000 intended for his former client, Stormy Daniels. Avenatti, who represented himself during the trial, was found guilty of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after diverting funds through forgery. The justices previously rejected his appeal in May regarding a separate conviction for extorting Nike. Avenatti had hoped to leverage a recent Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the aggravated identity theft statute, claiming his conviction should be reconsidered. He is currently serving a four-year sentence, compounded by additional sentences from other fraud cases. Justice Brett Kavanaugh recused himself from the decision without public explanation, likely due to Avenatti's past representation of a woman who accused him of misconduct during his confirmation process.