In a recent decision, the Supreme Court upheld lawyer Michael Avenatti's conviction for attempting to extort up to $25 million from Nike. The justices declined to comment on the matter, rejecting Avenatti's appeal. Avenatti gained notoriety for representing porn actor Stormy Daniels in her legal battle against former President Donald Trump.

The timing of the court's action, coinciding with Trump's ongoing trial in New York over a hush money payment to Daniels, is purely coincidental. Avenatti's involvement with Nike stemmed from a whistleblower's allegations regarding the company's payments to amateur basketball players.

Avenatti's legal team argued that the fraud statute under which he was convicted was unconstitutionally vague. They also contended that his involvement in settlement negotiations with Nike should exempt him from being criminally charged with plotting extortion. However, both claims were dismissed by the federal appeals court in New York, which upheld his conviction and sentence.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed with Avenatti's assertion that there was insufficient evidence to support his February 2020 conviction on charges of extortion and honest-services fraud. Avenatti had threatened to tarnish Nike's reputation in the media if his demands were not met.

Based in California, Avenatti was handed a 2 1/2-year prison sentence in the Nike case. This conviction is just one of several legal troubles he currently faces. Avenatti has also been found guilty of embezzling book proceeds from Stormy Daniels and received a 14-year prison sentence for stealing settlement funds from clients and evading tax payments related to a coffee chain he owned.

Although Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not participate in the Supreme Court's recent action, it is worth noting that Avenatti had previously represented Julie Swetnick, one of the women who accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct during his nomination process in 2018. Kavanaugh vehemently denied these allegations.

With the Supreme Court's decision, Avenatti's conviction remains unchanged, further cementing the legal repercussions he faces for his involvement in the Nike case and other criminal activities.