# Boris Epshteyn Moscow-born Trump advisor who served as the internal coordinator of the fake electors operation across multiple states — the connective tissue between Trump's inner circle and the on-the-ground operatives executing the fake elector scheme. While [[Kenneth Chesebro]] designed the plan and [[John Eastman]] provided the constitutional theory, Epshteyn was the operational manager who made the multi-state scheme function. ## Background Epshteyn was born in Moscow and immigrated to the United States as a child. He attended Georgetown Law and entered Republican political circles as a commentator and surrogate. He served briefly as a communications aide in the [[Trump White House]] before being pushed out, but remained in Trump's orbit and re-emerged as a central figure in the post-2020 legal and political operation. His previous career included stints as a Sinclair Broadcasting commentator — where he delivered pro-Trump segments that were broadcast to local news audiences across the country — and various roles in Republican campaigns. None of this suggested the operational role he would play in the most consequential election fraud scheme in American history. ## Role in the Fake Electors Scheme Epshteyn's function was **coordination**: he served as the link between the principals designing the scheme in Washington and the state-level operatives who needed to recruit fake electors, produce documents, and file them on deadline. This required: **Multi-State Logistics**: The fake electors scheme required simultaneous action across seven states, each with different legal requirements, different Republican party structures, and different levels of willingness among local operatives. Epshteyn coordinated across these jurisdictions from within Trump's orbit. **Principal-Agent Communication**: He transmitted directions from the Trump legal team to state-level actors and reported back on progress, problems, and willingness. This placed him at the critical junction between the scheme's architects and its executors. **Attorney Coordination**: Epshteyn helped connect the various lawyers involved in the effort — Eastman, Chesebro, [[Rudy Giuliani]], and state-level attorneys — ensuring the legal theories being developed in Washington were being translated into actionable steps at the state level. ## Inner Circle Access What made Epshteyn particularly significant was his position inside Trump's post-presidential operation. He became one of Trump's most trusted legal advisors, reportedly helping to select and manage Trump's legal teams across multiple criminal indictments. This dual role — [[Stop the Steal]] coordinator and ongoing legal advisor — meant the same person who helped execute the fake electors scheme was subsequently involved in managing Trump's defense against charges stemming from that scheme. ## Legal Consequences **Arizona Fake Electors Indictment**: Indicted by an Arizona grand jury in April 2024 on charges related to the fake electors scheme in that state. The Arizona case was notable because it was brought by a state attorney general ([[Kris Mayes]], a Democrat) and targeted the coordinators of the scheme rather than just the individual fake electors. ## Analytical Framework Epshteyn fills the **operations manager** role in the Stop the Steal architecture. Every complex conspiracy needs someone who translates strategy into logistics — who makes sure the right people are in the right places with the right documents at the right time. Epshteyn was that person for the fake electors scheme. His Moscow birth has been noted by commentators but is analytically less important than his structural role. What matters is that he demonstrates how the fake electors scheme was not a series of independent state-level actions but a centrally coordinated operation managed from within Trump's inner circle. The fake electors in Wisconsin didn't independently decide to do the same thing as the fake electors in Georgia on the same day in the same format — someone was coordinating, and Epshteyn was a key part of that coordination. His continued role as Trump's legal advisor after the scheme is also structurally significant: it demonstrates that participation in the coup attempt was not disqualifying within Trump's orbit but rather qualifying — proof of loyalty that was rewarded with continued access and influence.