THE BROWNSVILLE OBSERVER : 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐙𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐒 $𝟓𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐆, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐏 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐔𝐓𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐄

by Jim Barton Sources: New York Times, The Independent, The Guardian

Tom Homan, the former head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and now President Trump’s border czar, was recorded accepting $50,000 in cash during an undercover FBI operation in September 2024, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The payment, handed to Homan in a Cava Supermarket food bag, was part of a broader counterintelligence investigation. Though Homan was not initially a target, he became the focus after allegedly agreeing to help undercover agents, posing as businessmen, secure future government contracts in exchange for the cash.

The FBI captured the meeting on audiotape, during which Homan appeared to indicate he could assist the supposed businessmen in obtaining border security contracts if Trump were re-elected. At the time, Homan held no government position but had publicly stated his intent to return to public service under a second Trump administration. He had previously led ICE during Trump’s first term and remained a visible supporter of strict immigration policies, including through paid appearances on Fox News and his own advocacy group, Border911.

Following Trump’s electoral victory in 2024, and as Homan’s return to a powerful role in government became imminent, the case gained urgency. Prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section became involved, and law enforcement officials reportedly informed Trump’s transition team of the investigation. However, shortly after Trump assumed office, the Justice Department, now led by Trump appointees, abruptly shut down the probe. Officials cited doubts over whether prosecutors could prove Homan had agreed to perform any specific act in exchange for the money, and emphasized that he was not a sitting government official at the time of the meeting.

Justice Department leaders, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel, issued a statement saying the investigation underwent a full review and turned up “no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing.” They insisted the department should focus on “real threats to the American people,” dismissing the case as lacking legal merit. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson went further, calling the probe “blatantly political” and accusing the Biden administration of targeting Trump allies while ignoring the country’s real problems. She defended Homan as a “lifelong public servant” who had no role in awarding contracts and was simply doing his job.

Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, have condemned the decision to drop the case. They point to the FBI's surveillance tape and the circumstances surrounding the investigation’s closure as evidence of political interference. Representative Adam Schiff accused the Trump administration of shielding Homan from accountability, while other Democrats warned the situation reflects a broader pattern of politicizing federal law enforcement. One former Justice Department official said the case was ended prematurely, before all necessary evidence could be collected, while another source said it never met the threshold for federal criminal charges under recent Supreme Court rulings that raised the bar for proving bribery.

The situation is further complicated by Homan’s post-ICE business activities. He opened a consulting firm that worked with companies seeking immigration-related contracts, including Fisher Industries, which won a $225 million contract to build a section of border wall in Texas. At one point, Homan was reportedly paid up to $150,000 to lobby for the firm. He has denied involvement in any contract award decisions and has not responded to recent requests for comment.

The undercover operation began after a target of the FBI investigation suggested that a $1 million payment to Homan could lead to lucrative contracts under a future Trump administration. Agents arranged the September 2024 meeting through an associate and taped the encounter, during which Homan appeared to endorse the plan. After Trump named him border czar on November 10, 2024, with broad authority over deportations, DOJ officials revisited the case, but ultimately opted to end it.

The case’s closure adds to growing scrutiny of how the Trump administration is handling legal matters involving its own allies, especially as Trump has taken an increasingly active role in shaping Justice Department personnel and policy. In a separate development, Trump recently removed a U.S. attorney who reportedly declined to prosecute his political opponents, replacing him with a former beauty pageant contestant turned White House aide, raising further concerns about the independence of federal law enforcement.

As of now, no federal charges have been filed against Tom Homan, and the Justice Department maintains that the investigation found no grounds for prosecution.