It's usually a bad sign when Trump tries to deny knowing a person of interest.
FBI raids home, office of lobbyist Michael Esposito
By Devlin Barrett, Jonathan O'Connell and Beth Reinhard
Jan. 3, 2020 at 11:54 a.m. EST
FBI agents investigating a lobbyist who has claimed close ties to President Trump and his family searched the man’s Northern Virginia home and D.C. office early Thursday morning looking for evidence of possible fraud, according to people familiar with the matter.
Michael Esposito’s business has boomed in the Trump era, but Trump, White House officials and senior Republicans have said he greatly exaggerated his claims of access to the president and his inner circle.
Following a Washington Post story in November on Esposito’s business, the FBI is investigating to see if Esposito may have defrauded his clients or engaged in any other type of financial fraud, the people said.
Esposito did not respond to phone messages or emails requesting comment, and no one answered the door at his home in Sterling Friday morning.
Neighbors said about a half-dozen cars arrived at his home around 7 a.m. Thursday morning and didn’t leave for several hours. People wearing FBI jackets and suits came in and out of Esposito’s home.
Neighbors said about a half-dozen cars arrived at his home around 7 a.m. Thursday morning and didn’t leave for several hours. People wearing FBI jackets and suits came in and out of Esposito’s home.
“They’re really nice people,” neighbor Richard Tate, who lives across the street, said of the Esposito family on Friday. “So I was surprised.”
Another couple who lives nearby, Sheza and Salman Mansoor, said they were unaware of the law enforcement activity but that they had often marveled at the luxury cars parked in Esposito’s driveway.
On Friday, there were Rolls-Royce and Lincoln SUVs parked in front of Esposito’s house. On social media, Esposito has posted photos of himself in other luxury cars and wrote of the pleasure he takes in buying and selling Ferraris, Bentleys and Rolls-Royces.
“Nobody in this neighborhood has cars like that, so they stood out,” Sheza Mansoor said. “Amazing cars.”
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment. Loudoun County Sheriff spokesman Colin Whittington said the sheriff’s office assisted with an FBI operation in Sterling Thursday morning but referred questions to the FBI.
Esposito’s firm, Federal Advocates, has offices at 1666 K St. NW, which were also subject to search, according to the people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.
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After The Post’s story in November, Trump bluntly disputed Esposito’s claims to have a “strong personal and professional relationship with President Trump.” Trump tweeted: “I don’t know, to the best of my knowledge, a man named Michael Esposito. . . . I don’t like him using my name to build his consulting company, or whatever. Please advise his clients and Administration officials accordingly.”
Federal Advocates collected $4.66 million from lobbying clients in 2018, up from $3.25 million in 2017 and $907,000 in 2016, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The explosive growth led Bloomberg Government news service to dub Federal Advocates the top-performing lobbying firm in 2017.
Before the raid occurred, some of Esposito’s clients said they were reconsidering their relationship with him, while others have stuck with him.
more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/fbi-raids-home-office-of-lobbyist-michael-esposito/2020/01/03/bcf05dc0-2e38-11ea-bcb3-ac6482c4a92f_story.html
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