'Polarizing' Trump lawyer negotiating deals with law firms: report [View all]

Source: Raw Story

April 14, 2025 9:57AM ET


President Donald Trump's longtime adviser Boris Epshteyn has been negotiating deals with the leading law firms he's targeted with punitive executive orders.

The president's personal lawyer does not work for the government, but he has been the face of the administration's campaign to force law firms to provide free legal services and change their hiring practices to avoid a government investigation and other scrutiny, reported the Wall Street Journal.

"Epshteyn is a polarizing figure among Trump advisers, and many question his tactics, according to campaign and administration officials," the Journal reported. "He was indicted in Arizona last year following an investigation into efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss in the state, and has pleaded not guilty there. He previously pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct as part of a bar incident. He was accused by Trump’s campaign lawyer of shaking down potential administration nominees for consulting contracts. Epshteyn has denied the allegations."

Some of the firms have privately worried about negotiating with Epshteyn because he doesn't work for the government and uses a private Gmail email account, some lawyers told the newspaper, but they decided that negotiating with him was the best way to avoid further scrutiny. "Privately, legal industry leaders say they view his efforts as designed to intimidate and sideline lawyers who would otherwise oppose the administration," the Journal reported. "

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/boris-epshteyn-2671766379/