Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s “border czar” and one of the toughest voices in his immigration crackdown, has denied reports that he accepted $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents who were allegedly offering money in exchange for help securing immigration-related contracts.
The allegations, first reported by MSNBC in September, involved a 2024 meeting in Texas where Homan was reportedly recorded accepting a bag containing the money. The Justice Department closed its investigation in 2025, citing insufficient evidence that Homan had agreed to take specific actions in return and noting that he held no official government role at the time.
According to media reports, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that Homan had been investigated but said agents and prosecutors found “no credible evidence of criminal conduct.”
Homan rejected the allegations in an interview with NewsNation last week. “I didn’t accept $50,000 from anyone,” he said, describing the reports as “a propaganda piece.” He added: “I don’t care what people think about me, and I never have.”
Sources cited by The Washington Post indicated that undercover agents had posed as businessmen seeking future immigration contracts linked to policies former President Donald Trump had pledged to reinstate if re-elected.
The New York Times reported that Homan became connected to the case after an individual under separate investigation claimed that a payment to him might lead to lucrative border security contracts.
A Justice Department statement described the inquiry as having undergone “an extensive review” but concluded there was “no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing.”
The Trump campaign and White House strongly backed Homan, calling the investigation politically motivated. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was an attempt by the Biden administration to “set up one of the president’s top allies and supporters.”
“The president fully supports Tom Homan because he did absolutely nothing wrong,” Leavitt said. “He is a courageous public servant who has helped the president close the border.”
Patel and Blanche added in a joint statement that the Department’s “resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not on unfounded investigations.”
Following the initial reports, Homan told Fox News he had done “nothing illegal” and highlighted his long career in law enforcement. “I left a successful business to return to public service,” he said. “My family sacrifices every day, and I’ve received more death threats than anyone.”
The case has renewed debate over political influence within the Justice Department during the Trump era. Attorney General Pamela Bondi declined to comment on the matter during a recent congressional hearing, saying the investigation had concluded before she assumed office.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy criticised the handling of the case, telling ABC News that “there are only two standards of justice in this country—one for the president’s friends and another for his opponents.”