According to an MSNBC report, the FBI recorded Tom Homan, Donald Trump’s border czar, allegedly accepting $50,000 in cash from undercover agents in September 2024, six weeks before the election, promising to assist in securing government contracts. The investigation, initiated under the Biden administration, was intended to monitor Homan after his appointment. However, after Trump took office, officials appointed by him closed the case, deeming it a “deep state” investigation. While federal officials believed they had a case for conspiracy to commit bribery, the investigation was ultimately shut down before any charges were brought forward.
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Last year, former ICE director Tom Homan, now the White House border czar, was caught on tape accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents posing as business executives. The investigation, launched in the summer of 2024, suggested Homan promised to help them win government contracts in a second Trump administration, however, the investigation was stalled shortly after Trump’s return to office. Despite initial intent to monitor his actions in office, Trump appointees officially closed the probe, citing lack of evidence and political motivations, while Homan dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. Legal experts highlight that while bribery charges are inapplicable before holding office, conspiracy or fraud charges could be pursued, depending on the agreement made.
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Nadine Menendez was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for her involvement in a bribery scheme with her husband, former Senator Bob Menendez, from 2018 to 2023. The scheme involved exchanging the senator’s influence for bribes like cash, gold bars, and a luxury car, with Nadine serving as a key player. U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein stated that Nadine was not an innocent observer, and he acknowledged that she was a purposeful member of the corrupt scheme. Nadine plans to appeal the sentence, which was in part influenced by factors like her health and difficult background, though prosecutors had sought a longer term.
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Following a campaign event, a former advisor to Mayor Eric Adams, Winnie Greco, gave a reporter a potato chip bag containing cash, an act her attorney later defended as a cultural gesture of friendship. The reporter, who had previously scrutinized Greco’s conduct, discovered the money after Greco insisted she accept the bag, prompting a call and request for a story retraction. After Greco’s resignation from her role as director of Asian affairs, she has been present at campaign events and was a major fundraiser. Adams’ campaign has since suspended Greco, citing a lack of prior knowledge of her actions, while Greco’s home was searched in February 2024 amid ongoing federal scrutiny.
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The Department of Justice has alleged that Smartmatic executives, indicted last year on bribery and money-laundering charges, transferred funds from a 2018 Los Angeles County voting machine contract into slush funds previously used for bribing election officials in Venezuela and the Philippines. Prosecutors are seeking to prove these funds were part of a larger pattern of bribery. Fox News, involved in a separate defamation lawsuit, asserts that LA County’s registrar-recorder, Dean Logan, may have received unreported gifts from the company. This could link to a broader scheme including overcharging customers and using the excess to pay bribes in other countries.
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Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery, following a trial that presented evidence of his attempts to influence witnesses. The sentence, which Uribe has vowed to appeal, also includes an eight-year ban from holding public office and a significant fine. Judge Sandra Heredia cited the potential for Uribe to flee the country as the reason for the house arrest ruling. This historic case stems from allegations of Uribe’s ties to paramilitary groups and a libel suit that turned into an investigation against him.
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Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery after a trial revealed his attempts to influence witnesses who accused him of links to a paramilitary group. Judge Sandra Heredia also banned Uribe from holding public office for eight years and fined him approximately $776,000. Uribe, who has denied all wrongdoing, has stated he will appeal the verdict and the appeals court is expected to issue a ruling by early October. The historic case has significantly impacted the polarizing figure’s legacy, with supporters and opponents expressing strong sentiments regarding the ruling.
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Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump related to a “60 Minutes” interview, a settlement that does not include an apology. As part of the agreement, “60 Minutes” will release transcripts of interviews with eligible U.S. presidential candidates after airing, with potential redactions. The settlement has been met with strong criticism from press organizations, who decry it as a threat to press freedom and an act of capitulation. The lawsuit accused CBS of election interference and sought $10 billion in damages, but the company initially denied the claims before initiating settlement talks.
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Former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins, a staunch MAGA supporter, received a full pardon from President Trump after a December conviction for accepting over $75,000 in bribes. Trump, citing an “overzealous” Biden Department of Justice, described Jenkins as a “wonderful person” unjustly persecuted. Jenkins’ conviction stemmed from appointing unqualified businessmen as auxiliary sheriffs in exchange for bribes, allowing them to evade legal requirements. Despite a ten-year prison sentence, Trump’s pardon ensures Jenkins avoids incarceration.
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John Q. Hosedrinker