The Justice Department has wrapped up its investigation into allegations that Tom Homan, a key figure in border security for Trump, accepted a bag containing $50,000 in cash bribes last year.
The payments, allegedly to Homan, were said to have been made during an undercover operation by masked FBI agents in September. The agents, posing as business people, were pursuing a border security contract with the federal government.
A source familiar with the situation told the New York Times that Homan, who was not employed by the federal government at that time, faced scrutiny after a voice-recorded transaction came to light as part of the bribery investigation.
With the prospect of a new Trump administration looming, the DOJ ultimately decided to close the investigation, questioning whether they could prove Homan engaged in any illegal conduct for cash.
FBI Director Kash Patel labeled the inquiry as “baseless.” In a joint statement with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, he noted that the investigation had been thoroughly reviewed by FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors but found no substantial evidence of wrongdoing. They emphasized the need for resources to focus on genuine threats rather than unsubstantiated claims.
The White House also defended Homan, dismissing the allegations. They characterized the investigation as politically motivated retribution from the previous administration.
In their statement, they criticized the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice for prioritizing investigations into Trump’s allies instead of tackling actual criminal activity and the influx of illegal immigration.
Homan, who is 63, previously served as the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump. Known for spearheading aggressive border enforcement measures, he once promised to lead “the largest deportation operation this country has ever seen.”
During his tenure, immigration enforcement reportedly surged. In a press conference earlier this year, Homan stated that 139,000 undocumented immigrants had been deported while he was in charge.
Looking ahead, he expressed ambitions to increase deportations to 7,000 per day, particularly following the passage of Trump’s major immigration funding bill aimed at enhancing the Department of Homeland Security’s resources.
