Afternoon Briefs: Michael Avenatti is convicted for trying to extort Nike; Alabama bill would mandate vasectomies
Michael Avenatti. Photo from Shutterstock.com.
Stormy Daniels’ ex-lawyer Michael Avenatti is convicted
Michael Avenatti, the former lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, was convicted Friday for trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike. Avenatti was accused of seeking money from Nike in exchange for keeping quiet about its payments to young athletes. He was convicted on three charges: transmission of interstate communications with intent to extort, attempted extortion, and honest services wire fraud. Avenatti is known for his representation of Daniels in her bid to invalidate her confidentiality agreement with President Donald Trump. He faces separate trials on allegations that he stole from Daniels and from other clients. (CNBC, the Washington Post, USA Today)
Alabama bill would require vasectomies for men at 50
An Alabama state representative has introduced a bill that would require men in the state to get a vasectomy after they reach age 50 or after they father three children. Democratic Rep. Rolanda Hollis said the bill is a response to the state’s near-total ban on abortion. The vasectomy bill “sends the message that men should not be legislating what women do with their bodies,” Hollis said in a statement. The abortion ban has been blocked by a federal judge. (ABC 6, AL.com)
Judge halts work on Pentagon contract in Amazon challenge
In a victory for Amazon, a judge ordered Microsoft on Thursday to stop work on a $10 billion cloud-computing contract for the Pentagon. Judge Patricia Campbell-Smith of the Court of Federal Claims said work should be stopped until the legal issues are resolved. Amazon has claimed that President Donald Trump had interfered in the bidding because of his animosity toward Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post. (The New York Times, the Washington Post)
