Trump removes another aide with clear Russian ties as FBI investigation heats up

Boris Epshteyn, a special assistant to the president with ties to Russian business who coordinates media appearances of Trump surrogates to defend the administration, is being pushed out of his position as multiple investigations into the Trump-Russia axis before the 2016 election continue.

Epshteyn was born in Russia, and before joining the Trump presidential campaign, he moderated a 2013 panel in New York City called “Invest in Moscow!” Epshteyn was joined on that panel by several officials from Moscow’s city government, including Sergey Cheremin, the minister in charge of international economic relations for Moscow.

Like Russian President Vladimir Putin, Epshteyn has falsely claimed that Russia did not annex the Crimean territory of Ukraine, declaring, during a 2016 appearance on CNN, “There was no seizure by Russia.”