The Division of Justice shut down an investigation involving President Donald Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, wherein he had been recorded allegedly accepting money from FBI brokers posing as enterprise executives, a number of sources aware of the matter instructed ABC Information.
The sting operation, which stemmed from a broader public corruption probe that didn’t initially goal Homan, led brokers to an encounter wherein they recorded Homan allegedly accepting a bag containing $50,000 in money whereas agreeing to probably assist the boys acquire authorities contracts within the occasion Trump gained the 2024 election, the sources mentioned.
The investigation, began in the course of the Biden administration, was handed over to the Trump administration. Officers briefed Justice Division management about it within the early days of Trump’s presidency as a part of their ongoing efforts to vet personnel who had been appointed to senior management posts in his administration, the sources mentioned.
Investigators on the time had been nonetheless working to find out whether or not Homan would have adopted by way of on arranging the federal government contracts, as some within the Justice Division questioned the authorized viability of costs in a state of affairs the place Homan had proposed the federal government contract when Trump’s election victory wasn’t but assured, in line with the sources.
White Home “Border Czar” Tom Homan walks towards reporters earlier than answering questions exterior the White Home, September 8, 2025.
Win Mcnamee/Getty Photographs
The investigation, first reported by MSNBC and The New York Times, started in 2024 and was primarily based out of the Western District of Texas.
The Homan encounter was recorded by the undercover brokers and the probe stretched into the Trump administration, the place inner discussions had been held over whether or not costs had been warranted earlier than the DOJ and FBI shut it down, the sources aware of the matter instructed ABC Information.
The shuttering of the investigation, which was formalized within the early days of the Trump administration, has raised issues amongst present and former officers in regards to the Trump administration additional politicizing the Justice Division by defending high-profile officers from authorized scrutiny.
ABC Information requests for remark from the Justice Division, FBI and White Home didn’t obtain a response. Homan additionally did not instantly reply to an ABC Information request for remark.
Nevertheless, in an announcement to ABC Information, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Legal professional Normal Todd Blanche confirmed the probe and mentioned it “was subjected to a full evaluate by FBI brokers and Justice Division prosecutors. They discovered no credible proof of any prison wrongdoing.”
“The Division’s assets should stay centered on actual threats to the American folks, not baseless investigations. In consequence, the investigation has been closed,” Patel and Blanche mentioned of their assertion to ABC Information.
White Home deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson criticized the probe as a “blatantly political investigation, which discovered no proof of criminality, [and] is one more instance of how the Biden Division of Justice was utilizing its assets to focus on President Trump’s allies moderately than examine actual criminals and the hundreds of thousands of unlawful aliens who flooded our nation.”
Jackson additional mentioned Homan has not been concerned in any choices by the White Home to award authorities contracts.
“He’s a profession legislation enforcement officer and lifelong public servant who’s doing an exceptional job on behalf of President Trump and the nation,” Jackson added.
