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NBC News are apparently gluttons for punishment. During Monday’s edition of NBC Nightly News, the news organization boosted claims by lawyer and proven huckster Michael Avenatti that shoe giant Nike was bribing high school athletes to go to schools with Nike deals. NBC treated the claims as serious while downplaying the federal extortion charges against Avenatti for allegedly trying to shakedown Nike for over $20 million.
“Tonight attorney Michael Avenatti playing his brand of hardball with Nike,” boasted NBC chief environmental affairs correspondent Anne Thompson. “[A]ccusing the athletic giant of bribing more than 100 college basketball players, including some of its biggest stars to attend schools with Nike contracts.”
Thompson parroted Avenatti’s suggestion that Duke University forward Zion Williamson was wrapped up in Nike’s plot, despite later admitting: “But neither Williamson nor his mom are mentioned in Avenatti’s 41-page document dump of text messages and bank statements that he says show Nike paid tens of thousands of dollars to players' families and handlers.”
Late last month, Avenatti was indicted twice by federal prosecutors on extortion and wire fraud charges. The extortion charge was in connection to Avenatti’s alleged attempt to get Nike to pay him over $20 million not the go public with his accusations. “Arrested last month, Avenatti is accused of trying to bilk Nike for more than $20 million,” was all Thompson had to say on the matter.
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