Washington — Senate Democrats are escalating their demands for information about White House border czar Tom Homan and any involvement he has had in federal contracts, following allegations that he accepted $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen last year.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that was first obtained by CBS News, seven Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee called for the release of Department of Homeland Security contracts, communications and other materials tied to the allegations. The group of lawmakers, which includes ranking member Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, set an Oct. 10 deadline for the department to respond.
CBS News reported earlier this week that investigators examined whether Homan took the money in September 2024 in return for promises of government action if President Trump returned to office. One source briefed on the matter said investigators were focused on a bag of money given to Homan. MSNBC first reported that the transaction was caught on video as part of an FBI sting, and that Homan indicated he could help the undercover agents win government contracts. Homan did not disclose any such payment on his White House ethics filings, and Justice Department sources told CBS News the probe involved FBI and public integrity investigators before it was closed by Trump appointees.
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“If true, this alleged conduct by a senior government official is unacceptable,” the Democratic senators wrote, warning that the administration’s decision to end the case “raises further concerns that the Administration is weaponizing our system of justice to protect the President’s friends and to persecute his political foes.” The letter also points to the $170 billion Congress recently appropriated for border security and immigration enforcement, stressing that “our homeland security should not be for sale.”
Democrats noted that Homan previously worked as a consultant for GEO Group, a private prison company that is one of ICE’s largest contractors, saying his relationship with the company could be a conflict of interest. Homan was an official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump term and was named border czar shortly after the 2024 election.
In an appearance on Fox News this week, Homan insisted that he did nothing wrong.
“Look, I did nothing criminal. I did nothing illegal,” he said. “You’re talking about a guy who spent 34 years enforcing the law.”
On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Homan never took the money. She called the investigation, which was initiated by the prior administration and dropped by the Trump administration, “another example of the weaponization of the Biden Department of Justice against one of President Trump’s strongest and most vocal supporters.” Justice Department leaders have also said investigators found no credible evidence of wrongdoing.
The Senate Democrats are asking DHS to hand over all contracts and grants Homan has been involved in since Jan. 20, 2025; his communications on contract awards; full GEO Group contract files; contacts between GEO Group and federal officials; and records of meetings with former clients while serving as border czar.
A DHS spokesperson referred questions about the demand to the White House. A White House spokesperson pointed to statements defending Homan and saying he “has not been involved with any contract award decisions.”
“He is a career law enforcement officer and lifelong public servant who is doing a phenomenal job on behalf of President Trump and the country,” said Abigail Jackson, the White House deputy press secretary.
The letter follows a flurry of similar moves this week. Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee called for Homan to testify, and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee opened an inquiry into the closure of the investigation. The same group of Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release information about the Homan investigation by Oct. 8.
With Republicans in control of the House and Senate, the inquiries are unlikely to go far, since Democrats do not wield subpoena power in the minority. But the investigations could gain steam if Democrats win back either chamber in next year’s midterm elections.
