Trump transition team suggests sidelining top advisor over pay-to-play allegations

WASHINGTON â€”  The top attorney on Donald Trump’s transition team has completed an investigation into a longtime advisor to the president-elect over allegations of using his proximity to Trump to score payments from those seeking roles or influence in the new administration.

In his review, lawyer David Warrington recommends that Trump aides sharply constrain advisor Boris Epshteyn’s access to the president-elect, according to a person familiar with the matter, who discussed the internal issue on condition of anonymity.

The personnel issue recalls the unusual and often-disorganized cast of characters around Trump who contributed to the chaos of his first term. Some of them are part of the transition as he looks to build out his administration before taking office on Jan. 20.

Among those Epshteyn is alleged to have sought payments from is Scott Bessent, Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary. The hedge fund executive campaigned for the job for months but was opposed by Epshteyn — allegedly after Bessent did not agree to pay him a substantial retainer.

The review also examined a complaint from former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in scandal and has expressed interest in joining the new Trump administration.

In a signed declaration, Greitens alleged that in a Nov. 7 conversation, Epshteyn’s “overall tone and behavior gave ... the impression of an implicit expectation to engage in business dealings with him before he would advocate for or suggest� Greitens’ appointment to Trump.

“This created a sense of unease and pressure on my part,� the ex-governor said.

Epshteyn isn’t accused of doing anything illegal; securing fees for access to senior government officials is commonplace in Washington’s lobbying establishment. But the investigation appeared designed to weaken or eliminate his prominent position within Trump’s orbit. The president-elect has sometimes chafed at those he viewed as using him for personal gain.

“As is standard practice, a broad review of the campaign’s consulting agreements has been conducted and completed, including as to Boris, among others,� said Steven Cheung, Trump communications director. “We are now moving ahead together as a team.�

Veterans of other presidential campaigns and transitions said such a review was anything but standard, and Cheung did not comment on Epshteyn’s role going forward.

Epshteyn served briefly in a midlevel role in the first Trump White House and was a central player in Trump’s life after he left office in 2021. He was an architect of Trump’s legal team and strategy as the former president faced criminal and civil legal cases after the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection and other efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Epshteyn himself was indicted on charges in Arizona related to alleged efforts by Trump allies to subvert that election; he has pleaded not guilty. His titles are senior counsel and senior advisor to Trump, but even before the review he was not expected to take a role in the incoming administration.

“I am honored to work for President Trump and with his team,� Epshteyn said in a statement. “These fake claims are false and defamatory and will not distract us from Making America Great Again.�

The president-elect’s son Eric Trump, who went to college with Epshteyn, told Fox News that if the allegations were true, his old friend might not be around his father much longer.

“I have known Boris for years, and I have never known him to be anything but a good human being,� the younger Trump said Monday. “So, that said, I will tell you, my father’s been incredibly clear: You do not ... do that under any circumstance. And, believe me, there will be repercussions if somebody was.�

The investigation into Epshteyn was first reported by the conservative website Just the News.

“I suppose every President has people around them who try to make money off them on the outside. It’s a shame but it happens,� the president-elect told the website. “But no one working for me in any capacity should be looking to make money. They should only be here to Make America Great Again.�

During the 2022 midterm election, some in Trump’s orbit also represented candidates seeking his endorsement, leading to accusations that aides were profiting from their proximity to the former president.

Miller writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.