WASHINGTON — The FBI recorded Tom Homan, the current White House border czar, accepting $50,000 in cash last year during an undercover investigation later dropped by the Trump administration, according to news reports.

Homan accepted the money after suggesting he could help agents posing as business executives win government contracts in a second Trump term, MSNBC reported citing sources familiar and internal documents.

The encounter led Homan, who was the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Trump's first term, to be investigated for bribery and other potential crimes, according to The New York Times.

Under the Trump administation, officials at the Department of Justice closed the investigation because they doubted they could could convince a jury Homan agreed to specific actions in exchange for the cash, the outlet reported.

Neither the White House nor the FBI denied in statements that a probe of Homan had occurred.

“This matter originated under the previous administration and was subjected to a full review by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors. They found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing," a joint statement from FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

"The Department’s resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations. As a result, the investigation has been closed."

President Donald Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a dinner that evening that he was not aware of the reports.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson blasted the probe as a "blatantly political investigation, which found no evidence of illegal activity" in a statement that accused the Biden administation of using DOJ resources to target Trump allies "rather than investigate real criminals" and immigrats who illegally entered the country.

"Tom Homan 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," she said.

Homan did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DOJ investigated Trump border czar Tom Homan for accepting $50,000 in cash: reports

Reporting by Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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