The Scoop
Donald Trump’s transition team conducted “a broad review” of outside contractors and consultants as it builds out the president-elect’s administration, spokesperson Steven Cheung told Semafor.
The internal evaluation comes as tensions flare among certain allies of the president-elect, spilling into public view as factions within Trump’s network compete for influence and access. One focus of the inquiry, according to three sources familiar with the situation: Boris Epshteyn, a longtime Trump adviser and lawyer who has faced claims inside the transition team of attempts to trade on his closeness to Trump.
“As is standard practice, a broad review of the campaign’s consulting agreements has been conducted and completed, including as to Boris, among others,” Cheung said in a statement. “We are now moving ahead together as a team to help President Trump Make America Great Again.”
Epshteyn denied any allegations of improper behavior in a statement through the campaign: “These fake claims are false and defamatory and will not distract us from Making America Great Again.”
The administrative review appeared to be focused on individuals who were involved in the 2024 Trump campaign, although that didn’t preclude it from ultimately touching transition activities — many people who worked on the campaign are also involved with the transition.
Know More
A separate source who worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign told Semafor that the existence of such a review was “unusual,” at least compared with Trump’s past campaigns. This source did not recall a similar review taking place during Trump’s first transition, although that team had not expected him to win and were less prepared heading into the post-election period.
Notably, the ongoing review follows a prior Trump 2024 drama surrounding money and influence: Late in the campaign, Trump decided to bring on longtime ally Corey Lewandowski, who immediately began digging into the finances of the operation. At one point, Lewandowski took his concerns to Trump, highlighting Wiles and co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita’s spending habits — and spurring on a battle for influence that Wiles and LaCivita won in the end.
Notable
- CNN first reported the allegations against Epshteyn.
- During the first Trump campaign, Michael Cohen was hired by AT&T to gain “insights” into the incoming Trump administration.
- Epshteyn featured in a Washington Post piece on a transition full of “shouting matches, expulsions from meetings and name-calling, all between the public celebrations and rocket-ship photo ops.”