Trump adviser who was with Rudy Giuliani at press conference tests positive for coronavirus

Boris Epshteyn joined Trump legal team at press conference as attorneys travel to Pennsylvania for ‘voter fraud’ hearing with GOP lawmakers

Boris Epshteyn, an adviser to Donald Trump who recently joined Rudy Giuliani at a press conference alleging widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election, has announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus.

“I have tested positive for COVID-19,” he said on Wednesday. “I am experiencing mild symptoms, and am following all appropriate protocols, including quarantining and contact tracing.”

Mr Giuliani is expected to travel to Pennsylvania on Wednesday as Republican lawmakers in the state hold a hearing on “voter fraud” following the president’s loss in the 2020 election.

His son Andrew Giuliani, a special assistant to the president, also tested positive for Covid-19 on 20 November.

Along with Mr Epshteyn, the younger Giuliani and other members of the president’s legal team who launched a spurious legal effort to overturn the results of the election, attended a press conference where the president’s personal attorney amplified baseless claims of widespread voter fraud and other conspiracies.

Mr Epshteyn stood alongside Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell during the 19 November press conference.

Pennsylvania’s governor and elections officials certified the results of the 2020 election on Tuesday, sealing president-elect Joe Biden’s win in the state and ensuring he receives the state’s 20 electoral college votes when the body convenes next month.

Despite coming into contact with at least two people in recent days who have tested positive for the disease, Mr Giuliani and Ms Ellis are travelling to the state for a meeting with Republican legislators in Gettysburg, as the president and his campaign continue to their attempt to undermine the results in several states.

But the president and the federal agency overseeing his transition to the White House began the process this week, as Mr Biden received more than 80 million votes in his popular vote victory.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people who have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 isolate themselves for 14 days.