PHOENIX — Boris Epshteyn, a longtime aide to former President Donald Trump, was arrested in 2021 after he was accused of repeatedly groping two ladies in an Arizona nightclub, in line with police information.
Epshteyn pleaded responsible to disorderly conduct costs in Scottsdale metropolis courtroom after prosecutors dropped costs of tried sexual abuse, assault-touching and “harass-repeated acts.” He paid a high-quality and served probation, and his conviction was put aside earlier this yr.
The arrest was first reported Thursday by The Arizona Republic. Epshteyn, who’s advising Trump’s 2024 presidential marketing campaign, declined to remark when contacted by The Associated Press.
A membership safety guard flagged down police early within the morning of Oct. 10, 2021, and advised officers that girls had complained Epshteyn touched them inappropriately, in line with a police report and body-worn digicam footage launched below Arizona’s public information legislation.
One lady advised officers Epshteyn was particularly aggressive towards her 23-year-old sister.
“All night he’s been like touching me and my sister, especially my sister,” she mentioned over loud music throughout an interview captured on the officer’s physique digicam. “He kind of cornered her and grabbed her and like (was) just making her super uncomfortable. Touching her after we repeatedly told him to stop touching her.”
She mentioned membership safety advised her they couldn’t kick out Epshteyn as a result of he was a giant spender, although safety guards ultimately led him out of the bar to police.
“We have a high tolerance of people being weird, but that was above and beyond,” the older sister advised one officer.
Epshteyn denied wrongdoing however mentioned little else concerning the incident to police as he sat on a curb outdoors the bar.
“I have no idea what’s going on. I have no idea who these women are,” Epshteyn advised officers.
Epshteyn was additionally charged in 2014 with assault-touching following a battle at one other Scottsdale bar, courtroom information present. He reached a plea cope with prosecutors.
A longtime Trump adviser, Epshteyn was a principal surrogate within the 2016 presidential marketing campaign, making frequent tv appearances and briefly serving as a senior White House adviser earlier than turning into an analyst for Sinclair Broadcast Group.
He’s additionally been a most important determine in Trump’s ongoing authorized battles, each as an adviser and a participant.
After Trump’s loss in 2020, Epshteyn labored with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani – one other of Trump’s legal professionals – on efforts to overturn the election outcomes by organizing pretend electors. Last yr, he was subpoenaed by the House panel probing the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol and testified earlier than a Georgia particular grand jury probing Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in that state.
It’s anticipated {that a} potential indictment in that case may come towards the previous president subsequent week.
He additionally accompanied Trump to Washington final week for his first look in federal courtroom on costs associated to makes an attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Earlier this yr, Epshteyn appeared alongside the previous president as Trump was arraigned in New York on 34 felony counts as a part of a hush cash case – the primary time in U.S. historical past a former president had confronted a prison indictment.
When Timothy Parlatore stop the Trump authorized workforce in May, he singled out technique variations with Epshteyn as amongst his causes, accusing him of “doing everything he could to try to block us to prevent us from doing what we could to defend the president” because it pertains to the case through which Trump is charged with improperly taking categorised paperwork from the White House.
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