LOS ANGELES _ Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels, has been arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of domestic violence, police said.
Josh Rubenstein, the chief spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department , said Avenatti's arrest Wednesday afternoon stemmed from an incident in West L.A., but he could not provide details until the celebrity attorney was booked.
The allegations were made by a woman who had "visible injuries," including bruises, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Avenatti denied the allegations in a statement released late Wednesday afternoon.
"I wish to thank the hard working men and woman of the LAPD for their professionalism they were only doing their jobs in light of the completely bogus allegations against me," the statement read. "I have never been physically abusive in my life nor was I last night. Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation. I look forward to being fully exonerated."
Avenatti, who has been tormenting President Donald Trump for almost nine months over the $130,000 payoff that Daniels received to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump, is considering a run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
But he has been facing growing legal and financial challenges in recent months.
He was struck with a personal judgment of $4.85 million last month for his failure to pay a debt to a former colleague at his longtime Newport Beach firm, Eagan Avenatti.
The same day, the firm's landlord, Irvine Co., won a court order evicting him and his staff from their offices because Eagan Avenatti skipped the last four months of rent.
Avenatti was scheduled to attend Democratic events in Vermont on Friday and Saturday, but ticket holders will get refunds, according to the state party.
"We have not heard from his people, but while there is some kind of arrest and investigation to ensue, we're not going to step into that arena with him," R. Christopher Di Mezzo, the party's communications director, told the Burlington Free Press.
