Donald Trump’s transition team is already grappling with its own internal politics after one of his most loyal advisers was accused of running a pay-to-play scheme.
The president-elect’s legal team launched an internal investigation – which was not criminal – into longtime Trump attorney and adviser Boris Epshteyn following claims he has been profiting personally from his proximity to Trump.
The review, conducted by the transition team’s top lawyer David Warrington, recommended that aides close to Trump limit Epshteyn’s access to the president-elect, the Washington Post reported, quoting a person close to the investigation.
Sources said that Epshteyn was quizzed about allegedly requesting payments in exchange for his influence to connect individuals to those within the incoming Trump administration, CNN reported.
Epshteyn allegedly offered his services to one individual at a charge of $100,000 per month.
“The way I see it is it’s very much a pay-for-play,” one person who reportedly spoke to the legal team told CNN.
The insider described a separate incident where Epshteyn allegedly requested payment in exchange for connecting the person with officials in Trump’s incoming administration and for his consulting services.
The investigation also reportedly looked into claims Epshteyn approached Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, earlier this year to pay him to promote his name with the president-elect and others in his orbit at Mar-a-Lago. Bessent did not take him up on the offer, CNN reported.
Epshteyn denied the allegations in a statement to CNN.
“I am honored to work for President Trump and with his team,” he told the network. “These fake claims are false and defamatory and will not distract us from Making America Great Again.”
As part of the investigation, former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens reportedly submitted a sworn statement to the transition team regarding Epshteyn’s alleged conduct. “Mr. Epshteyn’s overall tone and behavior gave me the impression of an implicit expectation to engage in business dealings with him before he would advocate for or suggest my appointment to the President,” CBS reported.
“This created a sense of unease and pressure on my part,” the declaration reportedly said.
It was first obtained by the conservative news site Just the News which reported that Trump said in a brief interview that “every President has people around them who try to make money off them on the outside.”
“No one working for me in any capacity should be looking to make money,” they quoted Trump as saying. “They should only be here to Make America Great Again. No one can promise any endorsement or nomination except me. I make these decisions on my own, period.”
Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, confirmed the investigation in a separate statement.
“As is standard practice, a broad review of the campaign’s consulting agreements has been conducted and completed, including as to Boris, among others,” Cheung said. “We are now moving ahead together as a team to help President Trump Make America Great Again.”
Defending Epshteyn on Monday, Eric Trump told Fox News: “I’ve known Boris for years, and I’ve never known him to be anything but a good human being.”
“I certainly hope the reporting is false and I can also tell you if it’s true, you know, the person will probably no longer be around,” he added.
Epshteyn has been a close ally to Trump ever since he joined his a spurious campaign to overturn the 2020 election results, and has remained a close adviser through his 2024 campaign and post-election transition.
But he has reportedly been known to clash with others within Trumpworld at Mar-a-Lago, where he is a frequent presence, including a recent bust-up with Elon Musk.
Earlier this month, the billionaire accused Epshteyn of leaking information about Trump’s transition process, including personnel picks, during a “massive blowup” and a “huge explosion” between the two men during a dinner in front of guests at Mar-a-Lago, according to Axios.
Musk reportedly criticized Epshteyn’s influence in selecting nominations for the Department of Justice, including far-right congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general, who dropped out of the running last week.
