Lawyer Denies He Tried to Set Up Defendant in Travolta Extortion Case

On Friday in court, John Travolta's lawyer Michael McDermott denied attempting to set up one of the defendants involved in a trial related to an alleged extortion attempt.

The Associated Press says McDermott told the court he was following the police’s directions when he covertly taped conversations with former Bahamas senator Pleasant Bridgewater, who along with medic Tarino Lightbourne is being prosecuted in the trial for allegedly attempting to extort $25 million from Travolta.

The AP says McDermott testified that police asked him to meet Bridgewater in a room rigged with hidden cameras, and he thought he couldn’t say no to the authorities. Bridgewater's attorney countered that as a lawyer McDermott should have known he didn't have to take part in the sting. "I'm a commercial litigator," McDermott replied. "I am not a criminal lawyer."