A new report outlines what members of President Donald Trump’s transition team were aware of regarding a bribery investigation involving border czar Tom Homan before the administration took office.
According to MS Now, Emil Bove was informed that Homan was under investigation after undercover FBI agents, posing as private contractors, allegedly recorded Homan accepting $50,000 in cash in exchange for promising border enforcement contracts in the incoming administration.
Justice Department officials reportedly believed the investigation would prevent Homan from receiving a security clearance. However, he ultimately obtained clearance after Bove became aware of the probe.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson declined to directly address the report, accusing the outlet of attempting to revive a matter she said had already been discredited.
“This was a blatantly political investigation that found no evidence of illegal activity and was yet another example of how the Biden Department of Justice was using its resources to target President Trump’s allies rather than investigate real criminals and the millions of illegal aliens who flooded our country,” Jackson said in a statement.
She added, “Tom Homan is a career law enforcement officer and lifelong public servant who is doing a phenomenal job on behalf of President Trump and the country.”
The report also notes that Trump initially resisted submitting the names of prospective nominees for background checks, making him the first president-elect to do so. Homan was announced for the role without having undergone a background check at the time.
The Justice Department later closed the bribery investigation, according to a September report from The New York Times. Additionally, one source told Reuters that FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the probe shut down over the summer, citing insufficient evidence to support a criminal charge. Officials noted that Homan was not serving in government when the alleged payment occurred.
“This matter originated under the previous administration and was subjected to a full review by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors,” Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a joint statement shared with Reuters. “They found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing. The Department’s resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations.”
