Trump Transition Lawyer Investigated Boris Epshteyn Over Pay-to-Play Allegations, Recommended Limiting His Access

What Happened

David Warrington, who served as general counsel to the Trump campaign and as the transition team's top lawyer, conducted a review of Boris Epshteyn after allegations surfaced that Epshteyn leveraged his proximity to Trump to solicit payments from people seeking administration roles or policy influence.

Warrington's review concluded with a recommendation that Epshteyn's access to Trump be sharply constrained, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously to the Associated Press, as reported by PBS NewsHour.

The Trump transition team confirmed the review was completed. Communications director Steven Cheung said: "As is standard practice, a broad review of the campaign's consulting agreements has been conducted and completed, including as to Boris, among others. We are now moving ahead together as a team to help President Trump Make America Great Again."

That statement notably does not clear Epshteyn. It buries the finding inside boilerplate language.

The Specific Allegations

Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens signed a sworn declaration submitted to the transition team describing a November 7, 2024 conversation with Epshteyn. Greitens wrote that Epshteyn's "overall tone and behavior gave me the impression of an implicit expectation to engage in business dealings with him before he would advocate for or suggest my appointment to the President."

"This created a sense of unease and pressure on my part," Greitens wrote.

Greitens and his attorney, Timothy Parlatore, both authenticated the document to CBS News. Parlatore told CBS News that Warrington interviewed Greitens and then requested the sworn declaration.

The allegations extend beyond Greitens. According to the AP via PBS, Scott Bessent — Trump's nominee for Treasury Secretary — was also named. Bessent ran a months-long campaign for the job. Epshteyn allegedly opposed him after Bessent declined to pay a substantial retainer. Bessent ultimately got the nomination anyway.

Epshteyn's Denial

Epshteyn pushed back directly. "I am honored to work for President Trump and with his team," he told CBS News. "These fake claims are false and defamatory and will not distract us from Making America Great Again."

No investigation has been announced by any law enforcement agency. No charges have been filed. Epshteyn has not been accused of a crime.

The Strongest Defense of Epshteyn

The PBS report makes a point worth taking seriously: what Epshteyn is alleged to have done — securing fees for access to senior government officials — is, in the PBS/AP framing, "the bread and butter of Washington's lobbying establishment." Powerful political advisers routinely monetize their access through consulting agreements. The practice is legal, widespread, and practiced across both parties.

The complaint from Greitens is a sworn declaration, not a deposition, not a recording, and not corroborated by documentary evidence in the public record. Greitens himself resigned the Missouri governorship in 2018 amid a separate scandal, which means his credibility is not unimpeachable. Parlatore, his attorney, has a documented history of conflict with Epshteyn, which CBS News noted. Critics of this story can reasonably argue the investigation was weaponized by internal rivals, not driven purely by ethics concerns.

Warrington — Trump's own transition lawyer — concluded the review by recommending Epshteyn's access be restricted. That finding came from inside the house.

What Epshteyn's Role Means

Epshteyn has been central to Trump's operation for years. He helped coordinate Trump's multiple legal defense teams. Those teams successfully impeded two federal criminal cases before they reached trial and complicated the Georgia state prosecution, according to CBS News. He earned his place in Trump's orbit through results.

The pay-to-play allegation, if true, would not be unprecedented in Washington. It would, however, be a direct violation of the trust Trump has said he expects from those around him. Trump has historically reacted poorly to anyone he believed was exploiting his name for personal gain.

The transition's official position — that the review is complete and everyone is moving forward — leaves the actual recommendation from Warrington unaddressed publicly. Whether Epshteyn's access was, in fact, curtailed after the review is not confirmed in either the CBS News or PBS reporting.

The unresolved question with direct consequences is whether Epshteyn's role was meaningfully reduced. If so, who fills the coordination function he played across Trump's legal and personnel operations? If not, the review amounts to a paper exercise with no practical effect.