FBI raids house of lobbyist who claimed close Trump family ties

Michael Esposito, a lobbyist who in the past has claimed close ties with President Donald Trump's family despite the family's own denials, saw his home get raided by the FBI this week.

The Washington Post reports that the FBI raided Esposito's home as part of an investigation into whether the K Street lobbyist has been defrauding his clients.

"Neighbors said about a half-dozen cars arrived at his home around 7 a.m. Thursday morning and didn’t leave for several hours," the Post reports. "People wearing FBI jackets and suits came in and out of Esposito’s home."

Although Esposito has claimed to be closely connected to the Trump family, the president and family members have accused him of greatly exaggerating his relationships.

In pitching himself to clients, Esposito has said he has "an open line of communication to the President of the United States" and is in "regular" contact with Trump himself. The lobbyist has also claimed to have worked with Eric Trump and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner on real estate deals.

Both Eric Trump and Kushner have denied working with Esposito, however, and the Republican National Committee sent him a cease-and-desist letter asking him to stop claiming close ties with the president and his family, the Washington Post reported last November.