[Boris] Epshteyn, who has managed to stay joined at the hip with Donald Trump—much to the annoyance of other lawyers in Trump’s circle—seems to have gotten his hand caught in the cookie jar in recent weeks. He reportedly solicited large monthly retainers from people under consideration for administration positions in return for putting in a good word with Trump.
Among the victims of Epshteyn's scheme is Scott Bessent, Trump’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, from whom Epshteyn allegedly requested $30,000 to $40,000 per month.
Harry Litman
Per month???!!!
The Wall Street Journal reported a colorful scene in which Epshteyn went running after Bessent in the lobby of Mar-a-Lago before Bessent told him to back off.
Bessent declined Epshteyn’s offer and got the nod anyway.
Similarly, former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens reported feeling pressured by Epshteyn for substantial monthly payments in return for Epshteyn’s support.
Trump was reportedly furious.
Nobody makes grift besides him unless he gives the nod.
Trump ordered an investigation into Epshteyn’s activities by top transition lawyer David Warrington. The resulting report is apparently damning, and it recommends sharply limiting Boris’s access to the president-elect.
The bodies are already stacking up.
[T]here also have been reports of significant conflict between Epshteyn and Elon Musk, who reportedly accused Epshteyn of leaking information about cabinet picks.
[...]
The weeks since the election suggest that we’ll be seeing blatant norm-breaking and indifference to the law that makes the first Trump term seem like kid stuff.
[...]
[Epshteyn's] presence on [Trump's] legal team provoked the resignation of defense attorney Timothy Parlatore. Parlatore’s departing criticism of Epshteyn was scathing: “There are certain individuals that made defending the president much harder than it needed to be.” In Parlatore’s portrait, Epshteyn combined ruthless jockeying for proximity to Trump with conduct that actually harmed the case and sowed wide distrust among Trump’s lawyers.
Again, this is a feature, not a bug, of Trump’s governing style.
[...]
Epshteyn illustrates a broader pattern that goes with the territory of working for Trump: a tendency to mimic their boss in using their position for self-enrichment. Epshteyn is the latest in a line of Trump advisors who have sought to exploit their proximity to Trump for personal financial gain, often through criminal activity. From Paul Manafort, who hoped to leverage his role as campaign chair to dig out of debt to Russian oligarchs, to Michael Flynn, who failed to disclose financial ties to foreign governments, to Steve Bannon, who skimmed over $1 million from contributions to his “We Build the Wall” scheme (Trump pardoned him shortly before leaving office), the pattern is unmistakable.
Epshteyn himself has been indicted in Arizona on charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery for his involvement in the fraudulent elector scheme.
[...]
To top it off, Epshteyn was arrested in 2021 on accusations of repeatedly groping two women at a nightclub. He received probation after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct, adding to the list of members of Trump’s circle—including Trump himself, of course—who have been accused of sexual misconduct.
...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.
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