The White House has denied reports that border tsar Tom Homan accepted a $50,000 bribe during an FBI sting operation.
According to US media, Homan allegedly promised immigration-related contracts to undercover agents posing as business executives during a 2024 meeting in Texas. Officials say he was recorded receiving a bag of cash.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt dismissed the claims on Monday, calling them a politically motivated attempt by the Biden administration to undermine one of President Donald Trump’s strongest allies.
“Mr Homan never took the $50,000,” Leavitt told reporters. “This was another example of the weaponisation of the Biden Department of Justice against one of the president’s top supporters in the middle of a campaign.”
She added that current FBI Director Kash Patel ordered a review which found “zero evidence of illegal activity or wrongdoing.” Deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson also stressed Homan had no role in awarding contracts.
The FBI said the case originated under the previous administration and was subjected to a full review. Patel confirmed investigators and Justice Department prosecutors concluded there was no credible evidence to pursue charges.
The New York Times reported that the Trump-era Justice Department shut down the matter over doubts prosecutors could prove illegality, as Homan was not in government at the time. He was then running Homeland Strategic Consulting, a private firm later scrutinized by Democrats once he was tapped to oversee border policy.
Homan has since announced the closure of his consultancy and pledged to recuse himself from any contract-related discussions to avoid conflicts of interest.
The White House insists President Trump stands firmly behind Homan as he leads the administration’s high-profile immigration crackdown.
