According to a deep dive into the relationship between Donald Trump and close adviser Boris Epshteyn, there are concerns among some of the former president's other advisers and members of his legal team that Epshteyn's own legal problems make a him a potential legal "liability."
The Washington Post report notes that the blustery Epshteyn appears to have Trump's ear because he is more pugilistic than Trump's other advisers and that plays to Trump's greatest weakness -- moving forward with ill-thought-out legal maneuvers.
Of concern to some in Trump's inner circle is that the lawyer with little practical experience had become Trump's primary "sycophant," with the former president ignoring Epshteyn's wide array of legal problems.
According to the report, "Epshteyn’s access and influence has frustrated some of the more experienced lawyers Trump has hired, because of what they see as his unnecessarily confrontational approach, his lack of relevant experience and the fact that Epshteyn’s own actions also have come under scrutiny in some of the probes," adding, "At the same time, Epshteyn is also dealing with the legal ramifications of his conduct outside of work. He is on probation, according to court records, after pleading guilty late last year to disorderly conduct and fighting during a late-night bar incident in Scottsdale, Ariz. — the second such arrest in Arizona in seven years."
Above and beyond that, what should be more concerning to Trump is Epshteyn’s links to the Jan. 6 insurrection and his ties to the proposal to submit alternate slates of electors in an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
According to the Post, "Federal campaign filings shows that Epshteyn has earned almost $1 million from Trump-aligned candidates — who hired him in part to sway the former president for political support, according to advisers on multiple campaigns. While Trump admires Epshteyn for his loyalty, work ethic and willingness to thrust himself into controversies on his behalf, other Trump advisers and lawyers say they fear he is a legal liability — a 'sycophant,' one said, who has given Trump the kind of advice that has worsened situations."
"The scheme to create slates of pro-Trump electors from states Biden narrowly won and send them to Pence was carried out partially by Epshteyn, former Trump advisers say. Epshteyn told The Washington Post this year that he took part in conference calls with the campaign’s legal team, including Giuliani, to discuss elector participation as part of 'an overall effort to send it back to the states,'" the report states before adding, "That effort is now being investigated by the Justice Department. Epshteyn recently had his phone seized by federal agents as part of that probe."
The report goes on to note that the attorney convinced Trump to hire attorney Evan Corcoran as an adviser, and that went south with the Post reporting, "Corcoran is now under scrutiny himself for how he responded to the subpoena this year from the Justice Department — a response that in part led to the Aug. 8 FBI raid of the former president’s property."
Epshteyn's influence is also a bone of contention among Trump's higher-priced attorneys.
"Epshteyn has urged a pugilistic tone in court filings about the documents, has tried to shape public relations around those filings and has called Trump repeatedly throughout the day to talk strategy, other advisers say. That has frustrated the lawyers who actually sign the court filings, including Chris Kise, according to people who have spoken to the former Florida solicitor general," according to the report. "For his part, Epshteyn has questioned Kise to Trump repeatedly, people familiar with those conversations say."
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