Lawyer Avenatti asks U.S. judge to dismiss new fraud charge

Lawyer Michael Avenatti on Friday urged a federal judge to dismiss a criminal fraud charge accusing him of misleading a client as part of his alleged effort to extort Nike Inc.In a motion filed in federal court in Manhattan, Avenatti said prosecutors were engaging in a "supercilious and dangerous attempt" to "regulate the practice of civil law" using a fraud statute meant to go after public officials who accept bribes and kickbacks.Avenatti, 48, gained notoriety for representing porn star Stormy