Jussie Smollett’s Lawyer Implicated in Avenatti Extortion Racket

The Wall Street Journal has revealed that the alleged co-conspirator in the Michael Avenatti extortion scheme is a high-profile attorney and CNN legal analyst, Mark Geragos.

Gergagos was most recently hired as Jussie Smollett’s lawyer. He began representing Colin Kaepernick earlier in 2019.

The Daily Wire’s Ryan Saavedra reports:
 

“The co-conspirator in that matter is attorney Mark Geragos, two people familiar with the matter said,” The Journal reported. “According to the complaint filed in New York, Mr. Avenatti and Mr. Geragos, the alleged co-conspirator, met with lawyers for Nike in New York on March 19 and threatened to release damaging information unless the company agreed to pay the two lawyers millions of dollars and another $1.5 million to the client Avenatti claimed to represent.”

On CNN’s website, Geragos is listed as “a legal analyst for CNN.”

Mark Geragos has represented Jussie Smollett and Colin Kaepernick, who recently settled with the NFL for less than $10 million. https://t.co/O7TDnCQZNF https://t.co/z9F3RNnZPY

— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) March 25, 2019

Geragos recently appeared on CNN, where he defended Smollett after Smollett was charged with 16 felony counts. At the time, he claimed that Smollett was the victim of a “media gang bang.”

“They’re bringing 16 counts. They’re bringing 16 counts because they parsed out two statements,” Geragos said. “I defy you to find something like that. He was not suspended. They have not talked to one person at Fox who has said he was dissatisfied with his money. They have not interviewed one person connected with the show ‘Empire’ who says he was dissatisfied with his money.”