Congresswoman Pou and Colleagues Demand Answers on Trump Advisor Cash Bag Bribery Scandal
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ–09) this week joined 13 fellow Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee demanding answers after bombshell reports that the Department of Justice killed a criminal investigation into top Trump advisor Tom Homan after he was recorded accepting a $50,000 cash bribe in a fast food bag. The members call for Homan to testify publicly before Congress without delay.
“We call on you to require Trump administration ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to appear before the Committee to answer allegations that he accepted cash bribes in exchange for promises to deliver government contracts,” Congresswoman Pou and her colleagues write. “The American people deserve to know why President Trump’s so-called Border Czar allegedly used his position and influence to take bribes in his own self-interest. 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.”
According to media reports, on September 20, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recorded Tom Homan, now President Donald Trump’s so-called “Border Czar,” accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help undercover agents posing as business executives win government contracts related to border enforcement.
A copy of the members’ letter demanding Homan’s testimony on his purported acceptance of a $50,000 cash bribe is here.
Dear Chairman Garbarino:
We call on you to require Trump administration “Border Czar” Tom Homan to appear before the Committee to answer allegations that he accepted cash bribes in exchange for promises to deliver government contracts.
According to media reports, on September 20, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recorded Tom Homan, now President Donald Trump’s so-called “Border Czar”, accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help undercover agents posing as business executives win government contracts related to border enforcement. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI initially planned to wait to see whether Homan would deliver on his alleged promise once he became Border Czar, and were considering potential charges of conspiracy, bribery, and two kinds of fraud against Homan. However, the investigation reportedly stalled soon after Donald Trump became President in January 2025, and Trump political appointees officially closed the case in recent weeks.
Homan has been at the forefront of the Trump administration’s extreme immigration enforcement tactics, positioning him to help former business partners and clients capitalize on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) border security and immigration enforcement spending. In fact, Homan’s consulting firm, Homeland Strategic Consulting LLC, previously advertised its ability to help businesses cash in on government contracts, stating, “We have a proven track record of opening doors and bringing successful relationships to our clients, resulting in tens of millions of dollars of federal contracts to private companies.”
Portions of Homan’s client list remain shielded from scrutiny by Congress and the public. Nevertheless, it is well known that some of Homan’s former business partners have been turning enormous profits under the Trump administration.6 Scrutinizing Homan’s role in DHS contracting is critical as the administration rushes to obligate $170 billion in border security and immigration enforcement funding provided under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” As the Committee responsible for ensuring that DHS’s mission is faithfully executed, we have an obligation to take testimony, on the record, regarding the role that Homan has played in the Department’s contracting decisions since entering government in January 2025.
No one is above the law. The American people deserve to know why President Trump’s so-called Border Czar allegedly used his position and influence to take bribes in his own self-interest. 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.
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