The man whose legal prowess porn actress Stormy Daniels hilariously said is like watching “the Sistine Chapel being painted,” is in a bit of legal trouble. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was arrested for “allegedly allowing a customer to touch her while on stage in a non-sexual manner,” while performing at a strip club in Columbus, Ohio.
Her attorney, Michelangelo — er, Michael — Avenatti immediately saw Donald Trump’s fingerprints all over the arrest, calling it a politically-motivated “setup” that “reeks of desperation.”
“We will fight all bogus charges,” he said.
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Just rcvd word that my client @StormyDaniels was arrested in Columbus Ohio whole performing the same act she has performed across the nation at nearly a hundred strip clubs. This was a setup & politically motivated. It reeks of desperation. We will fight all bogus charges. #Basta
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018
CBS News explains the law behind the crime Daniels has been charged with.
An Ohio law known as the Community Defense Act bars any non-family members from touching a nude or semi-nude dancer, according to The Associated Press.
Avenatti told the AP the arrest was “a set up.” He told WBNS he has “reason to believe it was politically motivated. There’s no question these officers were undercover at that strip club. They knew my client would be performing there and I find this to be a complete waste of resources.”
The station cites an arrest report as saying Daniels began dancing around 11:30 Wednesday night. During her performance, officers in the club said they witnessed Daniels using her bare breasts to smack patrons. The officers also said they observed Daniels fondling the breasts of female patrons.
Furthermore, the CBS report — citing court documents — says that when officers approached the stage, “Daniels held the face of the female officer between her breasts. It also says she did the same to a male officer. The report adds that Daniels fondled the buttocks and breasts of another officer. At that point, court documents state that a fourth officer exited the club to request assistance to make an arrest.”
Columbus CBS affiliate WBNS got video of what appears to be a handcuffed Daniels being led into a holding facility:
Storm Daniels arrested in Columbus. She didn’t comment. #10tv #stormy #avenatti pic.twitter.com/tAp8tyCOOc
— Tino Ramos (@Tino10TV) July 12, 2018
According to the reports, Sirens Adult Entertainment Club, the club where the arrest took place, wouldn’t comment on the incident.
Here’s a video report from WTHR:
Here’s the police affidavit as posted by Byron York:
Police affidavit supporting the arrest of Stormy Daniels in Ohio. https://t.co/QEEPRfyEKg pic.twitter.com/ApEgARVFlD
— Byron York (@ByronYork) July 12, 2018
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