UPDATE 1-Lawyer Avenatti charged in California with U.S. fraud, tax crimes

Lawyer Michael Avenatti was charged with 36 counts of fraud, tax evasion, identity theft and other financial crimes in an indictment made public by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Avenatti, best known for representing pornographic film star Stormy Daniels in her legal battles with U.S. President Donald Trump, has said he is innocent. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen, Gina Cherelus and Daniel Wallis; editing by Jonathan Oatis)