Vermont Democrats Cancel Michael Avenatti Events over Domestic Violence Allegations

The Vermont Democratic Party announced it canceled events featuring television lawyer Michael Avenatti following reports the 2020 hopeful was arrested over an alleged domestic violence incident.

Police responded to a domestic violence incident Tuesday and took a report, but Avenatti was taken into custody Wednesday. The police department said the investigation was still ongoing and additional details would be released later. Avenatti remained in custody Wednesday afternoon, and a call and text message seeking comment weren’t immediately returned. A spokesman for his political action committee declined to comment.

“It has been widely reported by ABC News and other outlets that Michael Avenatti has been arrested in Los Angeles, California on charges of suspected felony domestic violence. The Vermont Democratic Party has canceled Mr. Avenatti’s forthcoming scheduled appearances in Vermont, and will be refunding all ticket sales,” the party’s communications chief R. Christopher Di Mezzo said in a statement.

Avenatti, who has said he’s mulling a 2020 presidential run, became famous as Stormy Daniels’ lawyer and pursued the president and those close to him relentlessly for months, taunting Trump in interviews and baiting him and his lawyers in tweets.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.