Attorney Michael Avenatti, whom the media dubbed "Donald Trump's worst nightmare" has been imprisoned in a New York cell once occupied by Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
"He is in a cell reportedly once occupied by El Chapo, on a floor that houses individuals charged with terrorism offenses," Avenatti’s attorney, Scott Srebnick, wrote in court filings he sent Monday night. "The temperature in his cell feels like it is in the mid-40s. He is forced to sleep with three blankets. Not surprisingly, he has been having great difficulty functioning."
Srebnick argued to a judge that his client should be transferred from solitary confinement to the general prison population in order to better prepare for his trial. He added that Avenatti is under constant surveillance in a lockdown 24 hours a day, with a guard standing outside his cell and two cameras watching him at all times. Avenatti was transferred from federal custody in California to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan last week. Since his arrival at his new cell, Avenatti has only been allowed two social calls and is unable to shave, according to the New York Post.
Avenatti rose to prominence as the lawyer for adult-film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have a nondisclosure agreement with President Donald Trump over a hush-money payment for an alleged affair in 2006. Daniels later dropped Avenatti as her attorney, claiming he forged her signature to obtain money due to her from the sales of her book.
Avenatti became a fervent critic of Trump while representing Daniels, frequently appearing on television. He was a near-daily guest on CNN and MSNBC to give his commentary on how Trump was guilty of numerous crimes and would soon resign from office. He also appeared on an array of comedy and daytime talk shows, where hosts often lavished praise on him. Some members of the media even considered Avenatti as a viable presidential candidate against Trump in 2020. HBO host Bill Maher once described Avenatti "Donald Trump's worst nightmare." His media appearances racked up hundreds of millions of dollars in free media.
A Washington Free Beacon supercut shows a sample of the fawning coverage Avenatti received before his legal troubles.
Avenatti was arrested last March on charges of extortion and fraud but was released on bail. Last week, he was arrested and denied bail in California on charges that he hid and laundered money. He faces charges of extorting Nike for $25 million.
The Metropolitan Correctional Center is also where multimillionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was imprisoned until he died, reportedly by suicide.