Prosecutors have dropped charges against porn actress Stormy Daniels hours after she was arrested at a strip club.
She was accused of illegally rubbing undercover police officers’ faces against her bare breasts during a performance in Ohio.
Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said she was “set up” in a Columbus police sting operation, calling it an “absurd use of law enforcement resources”. Police said they routinely conduct such undercover operations.
She was arrested for allegedly allowing a customer to touch her while on stage in a non sexual manner! Are you kidding me? They are devoting law enforcement resources to sting operations for this? There has to be higher priorities!!! #SetUp #Basta
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018
The 39-year-old adult film star, who claims to have had sex with Donald Trump before he became US president, was charged with three misdemeanours, each punishable by up to six months in jail and a 1,000 US dollar fine upon conviction. She was released on 6,000 dollar bail on Thursday morning.
By early afternoon, prosecutors said they were dropping the case because Ohio’s law against physical contact between strippers and customers applies only to someone who “regularly” performs at a club. In Ms Daniels’ case, it was her first appearance at Sirens in Columbus.
Columbus police chief Kim Jacobs said “one element of the law was missed in error”.
“A mistake was made, and I accept full responsibility,” she said.
Officers were well within their area of responsibility when making the arrests, she added. But she said the officers’ motivations will be reviewed internally.
She said unsubstantiated allegations about their motivations were circulating on social media.
Mr Avenatti called for an investigation into the arrest, saying some of the officers had what appeared to be “very Pro-Trump” social media pages.
Certain of these accounts appear to have been very pro-Trump. In the event it is discovered that my client was targeted & arrested because of our opposition to Mr. Trump, the resulting lawsuit & action will be swift and devastating. That is not a threat. It is a promise. #Basta
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018
He tweeted screenshots from what he claimed was the Facebook page of one officer with a pseudonym and asked people to help confirm it.
We are told that these images are from the alias Facebook account of Columbus Det. Steve Rosser (before he deleted it), who was at the center of the arrest of my client. Anyone with information confirming this, pls contact me. #Basta pic.twitter.com/mqhrnxtO7B
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018
Ms Daniels considered reappearing at Sirens but later opted for a different club, Vanity Gentlemen’s Club. She performed there for about 20 minutes early on Friday, baring her breasts but not physically interacting with any patrons. A host had announced: “No phones, no photography, no touching!”
About 100 patrons were in the club and threw bank notes on her as she performed, partly covering the stage.
Police said Ms Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, smacked the faces of two female officers and one male officer with her bare breasts during the Wednesday night show.
Officers knocked on the door of her tour bus after the performance and took her into custody in an arrest that Mr Avenatti said left her “traumatized and rattled”.
The police department “engages in these operations routinely,” spokesman Sergeant Dean Worthington said.
Franklin County Municipal Court records show 23 similar cases this year, including the charges against Ms Daniels, 14 last year and six the year before.
Ms Daniels later performed at a second strip club in Ohio, a day after her arrest.
She took to the stage for about 20 minutes at Vanity Gentlemen’s Club in Columbus, baring her breasts but not physically interacting with any patrons.
A host had warned several times beforehand there would be no touching.
