He’s Teaching Trump Job Applicants How Washington Works
In 2017 we noted that Gospodin Epshteyn— along with Carter Page and Paul Manafort— was probably a well-placed FSB agent. More recently, we noted that it’s probably not true that Epshteyn, a Russian Jew who emigrated to New Jersey, is a deep plant for the Kremlin. After all, he was just 11 when his family got here. I’m not saying it’s impossible; just that it’s not likely… even if he was sent to the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (where he infiltrated the Trump family via Eric Trump) and even if he did work for some investment firms suspected of being Kremlin-connected and even if he did once chair a a panel at the investment conference “Invest in Moscow” that was definitely a front for the Kremlin… and even if his job in Republican politics has been to sow the kind of American discord Kremlin strategy dictates. But that aside…
So why would anyone come to the conclusion that Gospodin Epshteyn— currently facing criminal charges in a case in Arizona related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election— is… well… the mercenary type? And, in fact, the Trump inner circle is asking themselves about that right now too. CNN reported that Señor T’s other lawyers have investigated if Boris “has sought to gain financially from his influence with Trump and others in the president-elect’s orbit… The internal investigation, which was confirmed by half a dozen sources and is not criminal in nature, has probed multiple instances of Epshteyn allegedly requesting payment in exchange for promoting candidates for administration positions or offering to connect individuals with people in the upcoming administration relevant to their industries.”
In other words, he was shaking people down. No one knows whether or not he was splitting the cash with Trump or just freelancing. “In one instance he requested as much as $100,000 per month in exchange for his services, according to sources familiar with the matter. Epshteyn’s alleged activities prompted those looking into the matter to make an initial recommendation that Epshteyn should be removed from Trump’s proximity and that he should not be employed or paid by Trump entities.”
If that were to happen, he could fall out of a window… even without going back to Russia! No worries though. “As of Monday afternoon, it does not appear the transition team will heed that recommendation. ‘I am honored to work for President Trump and with his team,’ Epshteyn said in a statement to CNN. ‘These fake claims are false and defamatory and will not distract us from Making America Great Again.’ The alleged behavior by one of Trump’s closest advisers hints at some of the turmoil and strife behind the scenes of the transition process as the president-elect and his team staff the incoming administration.”
Epshteyn, long seen as one of Trump’s most loyal advisers, has played a significant role in the transition, sitting in on key meetings and candidate briefings at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. But his presence has often been a divisive one.
A notorious Trump-world infighter, Epshteyn is known for his combative and loud personality, and often boasts about his close relationship with Trump, according to sources in and around the president-elect’s orbit.
… Part of that investigation focused on claims that Epshteyn proposed that Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, pay him to promote his name with Trump and others at Mar-a-Lago. Bessent did not make payments to Epshteyn.
The back-and-forth between Epshteyn and Bessent resulted in a heated confrontation last week in the lobby of Mar-a-Lago, where Epshteyn raised his voice at Bessent, according to two sources briefed on the matter.
In at least one other instance, Epshteyn asked for payment in exchange for introductions and influence with the incoming Trump administration, according to two sources. Trump’s legal team was investigating several other similar alleged incidents, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The allegations concerning Epshteyn were brought to incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. It is unclear whether the allegations have been presented to Trump directly.
At times, Epshteyn has described the services he is trying to sell as a type of consulting, but the legal team investigating the issue has struggled to pinpoint any legitimate consulting work Epshteyn has provided, according to a source familiar with the matter.
“The way I see it is it’s very much a pay-for-play,” said one person who spoke to the legal team that investigated Epshteyn. This person described a separate incident in which Epshteyn allegedly tried to request payment for questionable consulting services, offering to connect the person with incoming administration officials relevant to their industry or lobbying firms that will be the most well-connected to the new administration.
The investigator assured the person that their interaction with Epshteyn wasn’t an isolated incident.
“It was like, ‘Hey, you’re not the only one,’” the person who spoke to investigators said. “He’s gone to everybody for it.”
One person close to Epshteyn brushed off the notion that this was pay-for-play.
“This is how Washington works,” the person said.
Allies of Epshteyn described the internal review as the product of newer associates not understanding the dynamic between Trump and Epshteyn as well as a disdain for the power Epshteyn wields with the President-elect. Epshteyn was a constant presence on Trump’s plane through the end of the 2024 campaign, often insisting on being present for conversations and briefings that had nothing to do with legal matters, a source close to Trump told CNN.
“Boris is a Trump original— loyal and effective from the very beginning,” a Trump transition official told CNN. “He works for President Trump, and nobody else, and has helped defeat the most vicious lawfare campaign in history. Boris has seen these petty skirmishes before, but he always perseveres.”
As the legal team’s investigation got underway, Epshteyn sent cease-and-desist-style messages to associates, claiming he had never demanded payment and threatening legal action, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Epshteyn has long been a fixture of the president-elect’s inner circle and has been part of key meetings with Trump at Mar-a-Lago during the transition period. He is often spotted at Mar-a-Lago eating dinner with the president-elect on the patio and has sat in on several transition meetings and candidate briefings, particularly related to Trump’s choices for the Department of Justice.
Sources described Epshteyn as responsible for pushing former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s name amid discussions about who Trump should pick as his attorney general. Epshteyn lobbied for Gaetz directly to Trump on a flight just hours before Gaetz was named as the pick.
The former Florida congressman later withdrew after it became clear he didn’t have the votes in the Senate amid the potential disclosure of a House Ethics Committee report detailing an investigation into Gaetz, including over allegations of sexual misconduct and other alleged crimes.
[There have been no reports if Epshteyn returned the bribes Gaetz paid him in return for getting the senile Trump to nominate him.]
Despite a seemingly more orderly and quick process than in 2016, Trump’s transition this time around is still rife with the infighting that is typically on display in Trump’s orbit, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. Sources on the transition team have expressed frustration at how many people have Trump’s ear and how quickly a day’s progress can be undone.
Tensions between Epshteyn and some other members of Trump’s inner circle have escalated in recent weeks. Elon Musk, who has been by Trump’s side regularly since the election and has a growing influence on the president-elect, has questioned Epshteyn’s sway over Trump. The two also had a confrontation at Mar-a-Lago, with Musk leveling a number of accusations at Epshteyn, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
This year, the Trump campaign paid Epshteyn’s firm, Georgetown Advisory, $53,500 each month for communications and legal consulting, according to campaign finance records through October, the most recent month available.
Later, Señor T told 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. 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. No one can promise any endorsement or nomination except me. I make these decisions on my own, period.”
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