WASHINGTON ‒ The White House denied the administration's border czar Tom Homan accepted $50,000 in cash bribes as alleged in a Justice Department investigation that was shut down after President Donald Trump took office.

"Mr. Homan never took the $50,000 that you're referring to, so you should get your facts straight," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a reporter on Sept. 22 when asked about the alleged scheme.

Homan was recorded by the FBI in September 2024 accepting a bag with $50,000 in it as part of an undercover FBI operation, according to multiple news reports.

The New York Times, citing people familiar with the case, reported Homan was recorded on FBI audiotape appearing to accept the money in exchange for agreeing to secure future government contracts related to border security for the agents, who were posing as businessmen. MSNBC reported multiple hidden cameras captured Homan accepting the money, as detailed by an internal summary of the case.

Although Homan's encounter with the FBI agents led to Homan being investigated for bribery and other crimes, the New York Times reported prosecutors closed the case after doubting there was enough evidence to prove to a jury that Homan agreed to specific actions in exchange for the payment.

Leavitt slammed the investigation into Homan, calling it "another example of the weaponization of the Biden Department of Justice."

"In the midst of a presidential campaign, you had FBI agents going undercover to try and entrap one of the president's top allies and supporters who they knew very well would be taking a government position months later," Leavitt said. "Mr. Homan did absolutely nothing wrong."

Leavitt said the FBI under Trump-appointed FBI Director Kash Patel looked into the investigation's findings and found "zero evidence of illegal activity or criminal wrongdoing." She said the White House stands by Homan "100%."

Homan has played a critical role during Trump's second term as the top White House official overseeing the president's mass deportations of immigrants in the country illegally. During Trump's first term, Homan served as the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

This story has been updated to add new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: White House denies border czar Tom Homan accepted $50,000 from undercover FBI agents

Reporting by Joey Garrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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