A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday denied Michael Avenatti’s motion to dismiss the third count of an indictment accusing the embattled lawyer of trying to extort Nike Inc. by threatening to go public with allegations that the company made illicit payments to the families of college basketball recruits.

The ruling came just three days after U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe of the Southern District of New York declined to toss two extortion charges against the embattled attorney and vocal critic of President Donald Trump, rejecting defense claims that those counts had not properly alleged “wrongful” activity.