Tom Homan Swears He Did NOT Commit Any Crimes by Taking $50,000 Cash in a Cava Bag

Barf Bag: The White House tried to clean things up for its border czar, but hours later, Homan put his foot in his mouth on Fox News.

By Susan Rinkunas | September 26, 2025 | 7:03pm

Photo: Getty Images Politics

Tom Homan Swears He Did NOT Commit Any Crimes by Taking $50,000 Cash in a Cava Bag

In news that would be a much bigger deal if 429 other alarming things were not also happening, the Justice Department reportedly closed an investigation into White House border czar Tom Homan for accepting a brown food bag with a wad of cash during a meeting in Texas ahead of Trump’s election.

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Yes, undercover FBI agents posing as business executives allegedly made an audio recording in September 2024 of Homan accepting $50,000 in a bag from Cava, which hawks $18 grain bowls, after Homan indicated that he could help them get federal contracts related to border enforcement if Donald Trump won the election.

The FBI and the DOJ waited to take any action until after Homan started work in the administration, but the investigation stalled, and Trump appointees closed the matter in recent weeks after FBI Director and careless Twitter poster Kash Patel requested a status update. One Trump DOJ appointee even called the case a “deep state” probe in early 2025, but people who seek money to influence federal contracts can be charged with conspiracy to commit bribery—even if they never deliver on their promises.

This was a bullet in our Monday barf bag, but we need to unpack comments made since then.

During a press conference that afternoon, reporters asked White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt if Trump shut down the investigation and what happened to the cash in the Cava bag. “Mr. Homan never took the $50,000 that you’re referring to, so you should get your facts straight,” Leavitt said, before claiming that the FBI was trying to “entrap” one of Trump’s top allies.

Q: Did the president ask the DOJ to close the Homan investigation and does he have to return the $50,000LEAVITT: Mr. Homan never took the $50,000, so you should get your facts straight … you had FBI agents going undercover to try and entrap one of the president's top allies and supporters

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-09-22T17:34:09.960Z

But Homan went on Fox News Monday night, where host Laura Ingraham gave him a chance to respond to reports that “said [he] took $50,000 cash in a bag from an undercover FBI agent.” And, awkwardly, he didn’t deny taking the money!

“I did nothing criminal. I did nothing illegal,” he replied. Buddy, do you not understand how this sounds? Or you just know that you’re basically untouchable now?

Ingraham: They said you took $50,000 in cash in a bag from an undercover FBI agent…Homan: I did nothing criminal or illegal.

— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2025-09-22T23:31:39.634Z

Several Senate Democrats have since asked the Department of Homeland Security to release “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 White House spokesperson told CBS that Homan “has not been involved with any contract award decisions,” but did not deny that he took the money.

Incredibly, there was another story of a possible bribe in a food bag recently. In August, an advisor to New York City Mayor Eric Adams handed a reporter a bag of Herr’s Sour Cream & Onion ripple chips containing a red envelope that had at least $100 inside. The reporter for local outlet The City promptly wrote about the interaction with Adams’ “campaign confidant” Winnie Greco and her attorney, Steven Brill, who suggested that it was a traditional Chinese gesture.

“I can see how this looks strange,” Brill said. “But I assure you that Winnie’s intent was purely innocent. In the Chinese culture, money is often given to others in a gesture of friendship and gratitude. Winnie is apologetic and embarrassed by any negative impression or confusion this may have caused.”

Sure, except Greco has previously been accused of soliciting bribes and being involved in a scam of illegal and forged political donations to Adams to unlock public matching funds for citywide candidates. She resigned from her City Hall job under a cloud of suspicion in October 2024.

What will be the third cash-in-food-bag scandal reported this year? That’s anyone’s guess.

Just a pause for some ramblings of a mad king:

OUR BATHROOM MIRRORS ARE VITAL TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes.bsky.social) 2025-09-25T23:18:03.528Z

Even more barf:

There could be a federal government shutdown on Wednesday. [Politico]
Trump pushed out the US Attorney in Virginia because he wouldn’t criminally charge New York Attorney General and Trump foe Letitia James in a mortgage fraud investigation. His interim replacement is Lindsay Halligan, the Smithsonian–hating former insurance lawyer who has never worked as a prosecutor. [Associated Press/CBS]
Just a few days into the job, Halligan’s office announced that it had presented bullshit criminal charges against former FBI director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress and that a grand jury indicted him. Halligan brought the charges despite colleagues outlining in a memo that probable cause didn’t exist. [NBC News]
An Arizona Republican state lawmaker called for Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal to be executed for encouraging anti-Trump protests. But it’s “The Left” that’s violent. [Arizona Mirror]
Speaking of, a State Department nominee deleted thousands of tweets, including one calling for the head of the National Education Association to be executed. [CNN]
U.S. Park Police removed a statue of Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein from D.C.’s National Mall, even though the group behind the statute had a permit from the National Park Service. [NPR]
Relatedly, House Speaker Mike Johnson may delay swearing in a new Democratic member of Congress because she would be a majority-making signature on a resolution to force a vote on releasing the full Epstein Files. [Arizona Republic]
Didn’t you know? “America First” means loaning money to another country if that country’s leader supports Trump. [New York Times]
Headline: “Oklahoma superintendent who put Trump Bibles in classrooms resigns” [The Guardian]
The National Archives illegally shared Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s full, unredacted Navy personnel file, including her Social Security number, at the request of an operative for her opponent in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race. [CBS News]
In her new book, former Vice President Kamala Harris called Joe Biden‘s response to the Israeli government’s assault on Gaza “inadequate” and said that left-wing protestors’ threats to withhold their votes felt “reckless.” If only she had the authority to declare that, as the next president, she’d end weapon sales to Israel! [Axios]

This has been your Friday Barf Bag, thanks for reading!