Trump advisor caught in bribery scheme.
Toman Homan, responsible for the mass deportation policy, was recorded receiving US$50, but the FBI investigation was closed.
247 - US President Donald Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, was recorded accepting a $50 package delivered by an undercover FBI agent in 2024. The case was revealed this Sunday (21) by ReutersThe recording shows how the scheme involved promising government contracts related to immigration in exchange for bribes. Despite the recording, the investigation was closed months later on the orders of FBI Director Kash Patel.
According to information obtained by the news agency, the undercover operation recorded Homan receiving the money inside a bag from the Cava restaurant chain. The investigation began in August 2024, during the administration of former President Joe Biden, and was progressing when Trump returned to power in January 2025. A federal grand jury in Texas had begun reviewing the case, but the process was halted following Patel's order.
Filing and justifications
The FBI director and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche justified the closure of the investigation in an official statement:
“This matter originated in the previous administration and was thoroughly reviewed by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors. They found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing. The Department’s resources should remain focused on real threats to the American people, not on baseless investigations. As a result, the investigation has been closed.”
The decision raises suspicions about the protection of strategic figures for the Trump administration, since Homan is responsible for overseeing the mass deportation policy implemented by the White House.
Official defense
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson came to the advisor's defense:
"He is a career police officer and longtime public servant who is doing a phenomenal job on behalf of President Trump and the country."
Advisor's background
Homan was a high-ranking official at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department during the Barack Obama administration and even served as acting director during Trump's first term. During the four years that the Republican was out of the White House, the advisor ran a consulting business for companies interested in immigration contracts.
In the recorded operation, according to sources cited by ReutersHoman reportedly stated that he would keep the bribe money in a trust fund until he completed his service in the Trump administration.
