White House Defends 'Border Czar' Tom Homan Amid Bribery Allegations; FBI Probe Closed Due to Lack of Evidence
The White House defended 'border czar' Tom Homan against allegations of accepting $50,000 from FBI agents, calling the probe political. The Justice Department closed the investigation, finding no credible evidence.
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Overview
- Tom Homan, a key Trump administration figure, was alleged to have accepted $50,000 cash from undercover FBI agents during a sting operation in September 2024.
- The White House strongly defended Homan, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denying he took the payment and criticizing the FBI probe as politically motivated entrapment.
- The Trump administration Justice Department subsequently shut down the FBI investigation into Homan's alleged criminal wrongdoing, with officials confirming its closure.
- Investigations found no credible evidence of illegal activity or wrongdoing to support criminal charges against Tom Homan, leading to the probe's termination.
- Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy criticized potential "two standards of justice" regarding investigations, while media outlets reported conflicting stories on the Homan allegations.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources present a mixed approach to this story. While some outlets maintain a neutral, attributed reporting style, others frame the allegations against Tom Homan with strong, evaluative language, portraying the situation as "brazen corruption" and a "cover-up" that is "indefensible," thereby emphasizing a narrative of wrongdoing.
"The revelation about Homan has sparked fresh concerns about political interference in Justice Department matters at a time when Trump’s calls for prosecutions of his adversaries is testing the law enforcement agency’s long tradition of independence when it comes to prosecutorial decision-making."
Associated Press"Leavitt slammed the investigation into Homan, calling it "another example of the weaponization of the Biden Department of Justice.""
USA TODAY"The investigation has been closed after officials doubted they could convince a jury of any wrongdoing."
USA TODAY"Trump’s border czar Tom Homan was reportedly caught on hidden camera accepting $50,000 in cash during an FBI sting — and Trump’s DOJ shut the whole thing down."
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FAQ
Tom Homan is a veteran immigration official who served as acting director of ICE under the first Trump administration and was appointed as 'border czar' for Trump's second presidency in 2025, overseeing deportations of illegal immigrants.
Tom Homan was alleged to have accepted $50,000 cash from undercover FBI agents in a sting operation, but the Justice Department closed the investigation finding no credible evidence of wrongdoing.
The White House strongly defended Tom Homan, denying the allegations and labeling the FBI probe as politically motivated entrapment.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy criticized the situation as potentially reflecting 'two standards of justice' in investigations, indicating concerns about fairness and political influence.
Tom Homan was involved in the Trump administration's 'zero tolerance' policy that led to family separations at the border and oversaw record deportations as head of ICE during the Obama administration, earning a Presidential Rank Award.
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