NBC's Chuck Todd drops major admission about Michael Avenatti's role in anti-Kavanaugh charade

NBC News anchor Chuck Todd admitted Friday that Democratic lawyer Michael Avenatti, who is best known for representing porn star Stormy Daniels, helped dilute the allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh, ultimately aiding the judge to the Supreme Court.

Avenatti inserted himself into the Kavanaugh controversy last month when he surfaced a third accuser. That accuser alleged Kavanaugh drugged women and participated in gang rapes during his youth.

What did Todd say?

"Michael Avenatti is probably the best thing to happen to Brett Kavanaugh. All these Democrats that have been flirting with him, they've got to really be embarrassed by him now," Todd said Friday on "MTP Daily."

Todd added that Avenatti "diluted" the accusations raised by Christine Blasey Ford, which ultimately "cheapened the whole thing."

Todd's comments came during a panel discussion on comments Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) made from the Senate floor Friday, when she announced she would vote for Kavanaugh and explained why in thorough detail.

During her speech, Collins invoked Avenatti — though not by name — to explain why she doubts that Kavanaugh is guilty of the allegations against him, and more importantly why the presumption of innocence is a vital component of justice.

Collins said:

Some of the allegations levied against Judge Kavanaugh illustrate why the presumption of innocence is so important. I am thinking in particular not of the allegations raised by Professor [Christine Blasey] Ford, but of the allegation that when he was a teenager, Judge Kavanaugh drugged multiple girls and used this weakened state to participate in gang rape. This outlandish allegation was put forward without any supporting evidence and simply parroted in the public statements of others.

That such an allegation can find its way into the Supreme Court confirmation process is a stark reminder about why the presumption of innocence is so ingrained in our American consciousness.

Avenatti later responded to Collins on social media, accusing her of "channeling Donald Trump," while saying she "should be ashamed of herself for attacking my client and Dr. Ford" with her "disingenuous and shameful" Senate speech.

Kavanaugh vehemently denies all allegations against him. The Senate is expected to vote on his confirmation for the final time Saturday afternoon.