- Lawyer Michael Avenatti, famous for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her case against President Donald Trump, is now representing one of the three women accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.
- Republicans say Avenatti's involvement is proof Swetnick is politically motivated and are dismissing her claims that Kavanaugh was present while she was gang-raped at a party in the early 1980s.
- Some Democrats are concerned that Avenatti being involved is an unnecessary "distraction."
WASHINGTON - Some Democrats are becoming increasingly anxious with Michael Avenatti, the anti-Trump lawyer circling a potential 2020 presidential bid, calling him an unhelpful "distraction" in Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation saga.
Avenatti is most famous for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her case against President Donald Trump. Currently, Avenatti is working with Julie Swetnick, one of several women who have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.
Kavanaugh denied the allegations during his intense hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday.
"That is emphatically what I'm saying - emphatically," he said. "The Swetnick thing is a joke. That is a farce."
Unlike the other accusers, whose claims are now the subject of an FBI investigation as the Senate considers Kavanaugh's nomination, Republicans have dismissed Swetnick's allegations, in large part due to Avenatti's involvement. Swetnick claims, among other things, that Kavanaugh was present when she was gang-raped at a party in the early 1980s.
Multiple Democratic congressional aides told Business Insider they worry that despite wanting to fully investigate Swetnick's claims, the connection to Avenatti is an unnecessary distraction that only gives more ammunition to Republicans looking to discredit his client.
"Personally, I think he's kind of a distraction," Sen. Tim Kaine told Business Insider on Wednesday. "I don't know him, but I think he's a distraction."
Montana Sen. Jon Tester, who announced he would vote against Kavanaugh last week, told Business Insider that Avenatti "wouldn't have been my first pick" to represent someone making such serious allegations.
"Do I think he's in it for the showbiz part? I hope not," he said. "It's too serious of a situation."
But Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary committee, told Business Insider Avenatti's involvement is essentially irrelevant, because the allegations are Swetnick's alone. As to whether she finds Avenatti trustworthy, Feinstein said, "I don't know."
Avenatti has been very vocal in representing Swetnick, telling Business Insider on Monday that he does not trust the investigation currently underway by the FBI.
"The investigation is a farce and is being run by Donald Trump," he said. "They obviously are afraid of what my client might say, which is why they are avoiding her. There are many witnesses that can support her allegations and we are prepared to provide those names to the FBI as we have been saying for a week."
'I hope people will be highly suspicious'
Avenatti has continued in recent days to promote Swetnick's allegations and call for her to be part of the FBI investigation. Swetnick did her first television interview on Monday, sitting down with an NBC News reporter who said later that parts of Swetnick's interview differed from her sworn declaration.
Trump has dismissed Avenatti as a "low life" and a "con artist," while others have likened him to an ambulance chaser constantly seeking any fame he can latch onto.
"From my view, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it just did," Sen. Lindsey Graham said. "The lawyer to porn stars has just taken this debacle to an even lower level. I hope people will be highly suspicious of this allegation presented by Michael Avenatti."
"I haven't even gone to Google to learn more about him," Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said on Wednesday. "It seems to me he wants to protect people that are involved in pornography and he's running for president. And I don't know what his motivations are. I don't know what his reputation as a lawyer is."