Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress who was allegedly defrauded by Michael Avenatti, testified Thursday in federal court as part of the criminal trial against the celebrity attorney.
Daniels testified that Avenatti said he was going to get "a big payday" from winning her lawsuit against then-U.S. President Donald Trump and a crowd funding legal defense fund they set up would also cover his costs.
"He lied to me and betrayed me and broke my trust, and I thought he was my friend," Daniels said.
Prosecutors allege that Avenatti -- who helped negotiate the US$800,000 advance for her September 2018 book "Full Disclosure" -- defrauded her by instructing her literary agent to send two of the four installments of the book advance totaling nearly $300,000 to an account controlled by him, rather than directly to Daniels.
He allegedly sent a fabricated letter to the agent with a manufactured signature from Daniels redirecting book advance payments from Daniels' account to another account he controlled without her knowledge, prosecutors say.
Avenatti told her the publisher mailed a cheque for the second book advance payment to his office and so he had a cheque submitted to her account, Daniels testified Thursday.
Trial evidence shows email correspondence in which Avenatti switched the routing information with the literary agent to an attorney-client trust account he controlled by allegedly fabricating her signature.
Daniels testified that Avenatti never told her about the trust account and did not sign any documents approving those transactions.
Prosecutor Robert Sobelman methodically went through months of text messages between Daniels and Avenatti in which she repeatedly asked him about the status of her third book advance payment for nearly $150,000.
In text messages, Avenatti told Daniels he was "working on it" and suggested to her the publishing company was withholding money from her because she hadn't met her publicity requirement for the book.
Avenatti in November 2018 directed Daniels to compile a list of her promotional efforts so he could send a letter demanding payment from the publisher.
Daniels testified she didn't know whether he had ever sent the letter.
She also didn't know at the time that he'd received the payment in mid-September.
Over the holidays in December 2018 Daniels pushed Avenatti for help with the payment, especially angry over her current personal situation with her then-estranged husband.
"I am trapped in this house with my ex until i get paid," she wrote in a text.
Avenatti is now representing himself, and questioned Daniels on cross examination for about 10 minutes before the trial adjourned for the day.
In the brief questioning Avenatti confirmed with Daniels that she believes she can speak to the dead and speaks to a haunted doll name Susan on her show "Spooky Babes." (Judge Jesse Furman had ruled ahead of the trial that Avenatti could inquire about her paranormal beliefs because it may speak to her credibility.)
Avenatti also asked his former client if she believes that she has a "perfect" memory, always tells the truth and takes contracts very seriously. Daniels agreed.
Avenatti had Daniels read portions of their attorney-client contract at the crux of this case. A section of the contract says the parties could negotiate his compensation should she secure a book deal in the future. She confirmed the document was their only written agreement and was never modified.
"Do you have a single text message, email, voicemail or recording that says I would not take any money from your book deal -- Yes or no?"
She answered, "No."
Daniels claims that Avenatti said he would never take any money from the book deal.
She cut ties in February 2019 when she figured out he was stealing and was arrested on the charges three months later. Daniels says she never received any compensation for the third book advance payment he allegedly redirected to his account and spent.
Daniels is expected to continue testifying on cross examination Friday morning.
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
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The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
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A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a Grade 4 student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.