Three top Senate Democrats on Friday wrote to Boris Epshteyn, a top Trump lawyer, demanding answers to allegations that he solicited payments from potential Trump administration nominees.
The letter signed by the chairmen of the Finance, Judiciary and Banking Committees signals the expansion of the Senate’s investigation into Mr. Epshteyn’s conduct. House Democrats are also investigating.
“We are writing to request information concerning troubling allegations of potential quid pro quo agreements within President-elect Trump’s transition team,” wrote Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. “These reports raise pressing concerns about potential payments made in exchange for preferential treatment in the president-elect’s cabinet-level nominations.”
Mr. Epshteyn did not immediately comment on the letter. He has previously denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations against him false and defamatory.
Among the allegations in the letter is that Mr. Epshteyn sought payments totaling $30,000 to $40,000 a month from Scott Bessent, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for treasury secretary, to promote Mr. Bessent to Mr. Trump as a potential nominee.
The letter also references reports that Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri stated that Mr. Epshteyn implied that Mr. Greitens should pay him in exchange for advocating Mr. Greitens to be appointed secretary of the Navy by Mr. Trump.
The senators said they were also investigating whether Mr. Epshteyn was paid consulting fees from politicians in earlier campaigns in exchange for Mr. Trump’s making or withholding endorsements in their races.
“This pattern of allegations, which was reportedly the subject of an internal investigation by the Trump transition team, raises serious concerns about the integrity of the transition process and whether and to what extent it has been influenced by inappropriate payments for political favors,” the senators wrote.
The Democrats then asked Mr. Epshteyn directly: “Did you ever solicit or receive payments from any person or entity in exchange for using your influence to promote candidates for office or for presidential nominations from President-elect Trump?”
And they demanded a “summary of any payments made by any presumptive or potential nominee for a presidential appointment to you or your agents or associates, or any entity owned or controlled by Epshteyn or his agents or associates.”
The senators also requested related documents from the Trump transition team, including any produced during its investigation into payments made to Mr. Epshteyn.
They set a Jan. 2 deadline for Mr. Epshteyn to respond, the day before the new Congress convenes and can begin voting on Trump administration nominees.
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