You’re never going to believe this, but a Donald Trump crony was just accused of doing something super naughty

In Donald Trump‘s orbit, everyone’s a criminal. We may not know how yet — hell, some of them may have yet to don their criminal caps — but give them a few months in Trump’s circle and there’s sure to be a black mark on their resume.

It seems to be the leading qualification for a spot on his team, based on the president-elect’s growing list of Cabinet picks. Matt Gaetz has already stepped down due to the damning investigations into his predatory behavior, but most of the others are hanging on and hoping those shady backgrounds will pale in comparison to Trump’s.

At the end of the day, most of them do. We’re talking about a man with 34 felony counts, after all, not to mention the numerous investigations, previous lawsuits, and settlements he’s engaged in. He’s essentially the poster child for corruption and he’s more than happy to keep the trend going with each new crony he selects.

This isn’t a new thing, either. As it turns out, Trump’s been courting criminals from the very start. Recent reports indicate that, in entirely unsurprising news, a top Trump aide wielded his high-level connections for financial gain. It’s got to be the most obvious revelation in the history of politics, but it’s still stirring up debate as people process the news that everyone — including people you’ve never heard of — embrace duplicity the moment they climb into bed with Trump.

Boris Epshtey served as a strategic advisor for Trump’s failed 2020 re-election campaign, and in the years since, he’s carefully kept close to the former president. He’s also allegedly used his connection to the notorious fraudster to wring money out of those interested in being seen by the for-sale statesman, something that’s urging Trump’s attorneys — who looked into the matter — to suggest greater distance between the pair of delinquents.

A source told CNN that Epshtey is very much a “pay-for-play” politician with a history of requesting high sums — up to $100,000 monthly — for various services, including introducing people to Trump and those in his inner circle. He’s been wielding his political influence for financial gain for a good while now, it seems, but this is the first time he’s faced any real pushback. Epshteyn’s reportedly been a near-constant at Trump’s side over the last few months, frequenting his flights and injecting himself into vital briefings, and even Trump’s own allies are concerned.

Epshteyn, an attorney, political commentator, and frequent right-wing aide, denies the findings of the investigation. In a statement to CNN, he said he was “honored to work for President Trump” and bashed the “fake claims” as “false and defamatory,” saying they “will not distract us from Making America Great Again.” His allies likewise brush off the investigation as nothing more than “how Washington works.”

It couldn’t be more obvious that Epshteyn is far from alone. Trump himself is working to make the government a for-profit business, and he’s more than happy to financially benefit from his cozy new position at the head of the government. To learn that his aides and allies are likewise scheming and grifting is genuinely the least surprising thing to come out of this election cycle. Mark my words: Before Trump takes office, we’ll be seeing plenty more claims like this, and they won’t affect things a bit. A criminal isn’t worried about the optics of surrounding himself with his own kind.