Avenatti rants about Michael Cohen outside of Manhattan court

NEW YORK - Michael Avenatti was not shying away from the cameras on Monday as he entered a federal court for his second trial in New York City.

The disgraced lawyer is facing charges he stole about $300,000 from a book publisher's advance to his former client, adult film star Stormy Daniels.

He talked about Daniels, but was fixated on former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen.

Avenatti said that he had heard that Cohen was outside the court.  After saying that Cohen tried to steal the election, Avenatti told reporters, "He has nothing to do with this case. He's got to share it because he wants attention. By the way, I heard about some book, or he's got some podcast called Mea Culpa. He should have called it Mea Culprit. Guy is an absolute dirtbag, dumber than a box of rocks."

The government claims that Avenatti used doctored documents to divert money from Daniels' deal to himself for personal and business expenses.

Avenatti denies the charges and argues his agreement for representing Daniels included money from any book deal she secured.

"I'm not going to say anything to Stormy Daniels, that's why I have lawyers, and I have very good lawyers. I'm going to be acquitted in this case. I did nothing wrong. It should have never been brought. I'm waiting for the government to go after Donald Trump and his criminal co-conspirators. This thing is a joke," Avenatti said.

Avenatti was previously convicted in New York of trying to extort up to $25 million from Nike by threatening to expose claims that the shoemaker paid off high school basketball players to steer them to Nike-sponsored colleges.