By Lucia I. Suarez Sang | Fox News
Michael Avenatti, porn star Stormy Daniels' former lawyer who briefly considered a bid for president, is set to be charged Monday for allegedly trying to extort Nike for $15-$25 million, officials at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York said.
Avenatti, who was taken into custody Monday, allegedly tried to extort the massive sports apparel company for more than $20 million in payments "by threatening to use his ability to garner publicity to inflict substantial financial and reputational harm on the company if his demands were not met," prosecutors alleged.
The counts against him include conspiracy to transmit interstate communications with intent to extort, conspiracy to commit extortion and more.
A press conference is scheduled for later Monday to discuss the charges against Avenatti. Meanwhile, a second press conference is set in California, where law enforcement will announce criminal charges against the lawyer.
Earlier Monday, Avenatti tweeted that he would be holding a press conference on Tuesday to "disclose a major high school/college basketball scandal perpetrated by @Nike that we have uncovered. This criminal conduct reaches the highest levels of Nike and involves some of the biggest names in college basketball."
Avenatti became famous as the lawyer for Daniels, the porn actress who alleged she had an affair with President Donald Trump. In the last year, the duo rose to become household names in their fight against Trump, dominating cable news shows for months and taunting the president in interviews.
Before Avenatti began representing Daniels in February 2018, he was virtually unknown outside of the California legal community. But in months, he had become known as a no-holds-barred lawyer with a media style parallel to Trump's.
Avenatti had toyed with a 2020 presidential run, but ultimately ruled that out. He's also been involved in one of America's biggest cases in the last year, including representing dozens of parents whose children were separated from them at the U.S. border as a result of the Trump administration's immigration policies. More recently, he's been representing women who said they were sexually abused by R&B star R. Kelly.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.