By Mike James / September 25, 2025
Tom Homan built his public image as America’s tough-talking “border enforcer.” But between government stints, he was something else entirely: a private consultant selling access to the very machinery he once commanded.
On its now-archived website, Homeland Strategic Consulting (HSC) spelled out its value proposition in blunt language unusual for Washington:
“Political connections are important, and no consultancy has a more solid and extensive network than Tom Homan… For qualified candidates, we open doors to the right people in the right departments… Without our insights and introductions—on every rung of the ladder—your best-laid plans will hit the wall.”
This wasn’t about policy advice. It was about access—about leveraging the revolving door between government and business to deliver results measured in contracts and dollars. The firm even bragged of helping clients win “tens of millions of dollars of federal contracts.”
Who Bought the Key
One major client has been confirmed: GEO Group, a private prison operator and one of ICE’s biggest detention contractors.
Federal ethics disclosures filed when Homan returned to government in 2025 show income from GEO during his consulting years. GEO’s business depends heavily on U.S. immigration enforcement policy. More detainees mean more beds, and more beds mean more profit.
Beyond GEO, the client list remains hidden. In August 2025, House Judiciary Democrats formally demanded that Homan turn over an itemized list of all his clients from 2021 to 2025. The request remains unanswered. Until it is, GEO Group is the only confirmed beneficiary—but almost certainly not the only one.
The $50,000 Cava Bag
Then came the sting. In 2024, while still a private citizen, Homan met undercover FBI agents posing as contractors. They handed him a Cava shopping bag stuffed with $50,000 in cash. The conversation centered on how he could help them secure immigration-related contracts in a second Trump administration.
The cash exchange was captured on tape. The optics were damning: a man with a high likelihood of returning to government taking money to grease the wheels for future contracts.
But when Trump did return and Homan was tapped as “border czar,” the case quietly collapsed. Prosecutors cited the legal obstacles: he was a private citizen at the time, the transaction was too far removed from a specific “official act,” and Supreme Court precedent in McDonnell v. United States had already narrowed the definition of bribery.
Legally, the case fizzled. Ethically, the spectacle of a senior immigration official pocketing a sack of cash cannot be erased.
Congress Turns Up the Heat
The story did not end with prosecutors walking away. In the last 24 hours, congressional Democrats have formally opened inquiries into both the $50,000 sting and Homan’s undisclosed consulting clients.
House Judiciary Democrats led by Rep. Jamie Raskin demanded that the DOJ and FBI release all recordings, transcripts, and investigative files tied to the bribery probe. They argue the public has a right to know why the case was dropped and whether Homan misused his influence.
Senate Judiciary Democrats, led by Sen. Dick Durbin, announced a parallel investigation into the probe’s closure. Their letter presses DOJ for details on who ordered the case shut down and whether the White House intervened. They, too, are seeking the full investigative record, including any audio or video captured during the sting.
These coordinated inquiries signal that the Homan affair is far from closed. For the first time, Congress is putting real pressure on federal agencies to turn over evidence that could either corroborate or refute the explosive allegations.
The Revolving Door in Action
Washington is built on the revolving door, but Homan’s case makes the risks vivid:
Conflict of Interest: He consulted for GEO Group, then returned to a government role where detention policy directly affected their bottom line. Even if recusals were filed, the appearance of partiality is glaring.
Influence as a Product: HSC didn’t just offer “policy advice.” It sold introductions, marketed insider access, and claimed credit for winning contracts.
Erosion of Trust: When government decisions appear to benefit firms with personal ties to policymakers, the public loses faith in the system itself.
Legal vs. Ethical Lines
It is important to separate the legal from the ethical:
Not Bribery (Legally): Because Homan was not yet in office and no “official act” was tied directly to the payment, the $50,000 didn’t meet the narrow statutory definition of bribery.
Conflict of Interest (Ethically): Even without criminal liability, the case raises obvious questions. Was Homan selling his future office? Did contractors pay him not for his insights but for his proximity to power?
As one ethics watchdog noted: “When a public official takes money for access, even if the law can’t touch it, the public pays the price.”
Unanswered Questions
To date, there are more questions than answers:
1. Who were all of HSC’s clients? GEO is the only confirmed one, but how many other contractors “bought access”?
2. What contracts were won? The firm boasted of “tens of millions” in awards. Which companies and deals are we talking about?
3. Were recusals honored? Did Homan step back from decisions involving GEO or other clients after re-entering government?
4. Where did the $50,000 go? Was it ever disclosed on taxes or financial filings?
5. What will congressional inquiries reveal? With House and Senate Democrats now demanding full disclosure, the next wave of evidence may answer—or deepen—these questions.
The Bottom Line
Tom Homan’s journey from private consultant to “border czar” shows just how thin the line can be between consulting and corruption. His firm openly sold access. At least one major ICE contractor paid for it. And while a $50,000 bag of cash may not have been enough to land him in court, it has triggered new congressional investigations that could change the story dramatically.
As with so many Washington sagas, the ultimate question is not just whether laws were broken. It’s whether the system itself is broken when influence is openly sold, contracts are quietly won, and the people’s trust is the real casualty.
Works Cited
Associated Press. 2025. “White House Backs ‘Border Czar’ after Reports He Accepted Cash during Undercover FBI Probe Last Year.” AP News, September 22, 2025.
Daily Beast. 2025. “Karoline Leavitt Claims Border Czar Never Took $50,000 in Cava Bag.” The Daily Beast, September 23, 2025.
Guardian. 2025. “Democrats Urge Trump Border Czar Investigation over Bribery Allegation.” The Guardian, September 22, 2025.
Reuters. 2025. “Trump Aide Homan Accepted $50,000 in Bribery Sting Operation, Sources Say.” Reuters, September 21, 2025.
Reuters. 2025. “Democrats Demand DOJ Release Records on Bribery Probe of Trump’s Border Czar.” Reuters, September 23, 2025.
Washington Post. 2025a. “Trump’s Border Czar Earned Consulting Fees from Immigrant Detention Firm.” The Washington Post, May 27, 2025.
Washington Post. 2025b. “Democrats Press Trump’s Border Czar on Potential Conflicts.” The Washington Post, August 26, 2025.
This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools for drafting and organization. The author independently conducted fact-checking, verified sources, and takes full responsibility for the accuracy and conclusions presented.
