White House says Tom Homan did ‘nothing wrong’ following reports he accepted a bag of cash

By Adam Cancryn, CNN

(CNN) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered a forceful defense of border czar Tom Homan in the wake of reports that he accepted a bag of cash from undercover FBI agents, insisting on Monday that he “did absolutely nothing wrong.”

“The president stands by Tom Homan 100% because he did absolutely nothing wrong, and he is a brave public servant who has done a phenomenal job in helping the president shut down the border,” Leavitt said during a press briefing.

The show of support came just days after The New York Times reported that Homan was recorded last year accepting $50,000 from the undercover agents, posing as businessmen, in exchange for agreeing to help win federal contracts in a second Trump administration.

A person familiar with the matter told CNN that Homan accepted a cash payment in a sting operation. MSNBC first reported on the investigation.

Homan on Monday dismissed the reports, insisting that he did “nothing criminal” and “nothing illegal.”

“There’s a hit piece on me every two weeks,” he told Fox News. “But keep coming, cause you know what? Tom Homan isn’t going anywhere. Tom Homan is not shutting up.”

The September 2024 payment, which was inside a bag from the fast-casual chain Cava, occurred as part of an investigation that was not initially targeting Homan, The Times reported. But his acceptance of the money prompted a probe into the close ally of President Donald Trump for potential bribery and other crimes.

That inquiry — which began before Trump took office for his second term — was later shut following a review of the evidence by Trump appointees at the Department of Justice.

Leavitt on Monday defended that decision, going as far as to dispute that Homan had taken the $50,000 in the first place.

“This was another example of the weaponization of the Biden Department of Justice against one of President Trump’s strongest and most vocal supporters,” she said, accusing the FBI of “going undercover to try and entrap” Homan.

Leavitt added that the case was shut after an examination by Trump Justice Department officials and FBI Director Kash Patel later found “zero evidence of illegal activity or criminal wrongdoing.”

Leavitt’s defense followed efforts by the White House and Justice Department to downplay reports about Homan accepting the cash payment, with Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche calling it a “baseless” investigation.

“The Department’s resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations,” they said in a statement Saturday. “As a result, the investigation has been closed.”

Homan served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first term. Since returning to government as the president’s border czar earlier this year, he has played a central role in the White House’s mass deportation campaign, winning praise from Trump for his aggressive push to crack down on immigration at the southern border.

Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee sent a letter to the panel’s Republican chairman, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, on Monday calling for Homan to appear before the panel to answer questions about the allegations.

“Congress must investigate Tom Homan’s actions and his influence on government spending. We urgently request that you call him to testify before the Committee on this matter without delay,” the lawmakers wrote.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this report.

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