Lawyers involved in Trump’s transition have initiated an internal review concerning whether Boris Epshteyn, a long-time senior adviser, may have extorted officials who were looking for positions in the forthcoming Trump administration, according to sources.
At least one Republican figure has alleged that Epshteyn attempted to gain financially by leveraging his strong ties to Donald Trump and his influence over the president-elect’s selection of Cabinet members, as reported by CBS News.
Former Governor of Missouri Eric Greitens provided a sworn statement to the transition team asserting that “Mr. Epshteyn’s overall demeanor created an implicit expectation to enter into financial agreements with him before he would promote or endorse my nomination to the President.”
In the statement, initially disclosed by Just the News, the ex-governor expressed that he felt a “sense of unease and pressure,” voicing concerns about the ethical implications of the situation.
“I was particularly worried that there was an offer to facilitate a nomination in exchange for monetary compensation,” Greitens remarked.
Greitens, who reportedly reached out to Epshteyn regarding the position of Navy secretary, shared with CBS News that he felt compelled to speak out to “safeguard the president due to my concerns about the ethical ramifications of the situation.”
“I was specifically alarmed that a proposition might be made to push forward a nomination in exchange for financial benefits,” Greitens reiterated to the channel.
Epshteyn has refuted these accusations. “These baseless assertions are false and defamatory, and they will not distract us from our mission of Making America Great Again,” stated the Russian-born adviser to Trump.
According to CNN, citing individuals knowledgeable about the situation, Epshteyn allegedly sought up to $100,000 monthly for his assistance. Epshteyn has not faced allegations of illegal activity.
“Throughout our conversation, while there was no overt proposal made, Mr. Epshteyn’s remarks and conduct indicated he might consider offering a position within the administration in exchange for financial incentives, although any such offer would be deferred to later discussions,” Greitens noted in his statement to Trump’s transition team. “He mentioned that there would be ‘time for that later’ and that it was ‘not the right time for that yet.’”
A representative for Trump indicated that the internal inquiry was broader than just Epshteyn.
“As per standard procedures, a comprehensive assessment of the campaign’s consulting contracts has been carried out and finalized, which includes Epshteyn and others,” stated Steven Cheung, who has been appointed as Trump’s White House communications director, in a communication to CNN. “We are now moving forward collectively as a team to assist President Trump in Making America Great Again.”
Part of this assessment reportedly looked into claims that Epshteyn suggested that Scott Bessent, the nominee for Treasury secretary, compensate him to enhance his profile within Trump’s circle. According to CNN, Bessent did not execute any payments to Epshteyn.
Last week, Epshteyn and Bessent were involved in a heated confrontation in the lobby of Mar-a-Lago, during which Epshteyn raised his voice at Bessent, as reported by CNN.
Recently, billionaire Elon Musk allegedly accused Epshteyn of disclosing Cabinet nominees to the press, describing the incident as a “huge explosion.”
