Controversial attorney Michael Avenatti says he will not run for president in 2020 after months of considering a bid to push Donald Trump out of the White House.
Mr Avenatti, who became a household name for representing adult film actor Stormy Daniels in a lawsuit against Mr Trump, said in a statement that he does “not make this decision lightly — I make it out of respect for my family”.
The lawyer said that he would run if his family had not expressed concerns, and added the following regarding the Democratic Party in a statement posted to his Twitter account: “We will not prevail in 2020 without a fighter. I remain hopeful the party finds one”.
The decision not to run comes after months after Mr Avenatti pledged to run for the Democratic nomination should Mr Trump attempt re-election, and weeks after he was arrested in Los Angeles in connection to a domestic violence..
He said in July he would run for president “only if I think that there is no candidate in the race that has a real chance of beating him”.
The lawyer became a harsh critic of the president after taking Ms Daniels as a client, and indicated in his Tuesday statement that he would continue to represent the adult film actress and others who have sued Mr Trump.
“I will also continue with my nearly twenty years of speaking truth to power and representing those who need an advocate against the powerful,” he said in the statement.
Last month, a judge granted a $4.85 million judgement in favour of a former colleague of Mr Avenatti over debts relating to his law firm.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump's legal team is chasing to recoup thousands of dollars in legal fees from a since-dismissed defamation lawsuit by ms Daniels against the president.
