A senior member of the administration of President Donald Trump intervened on the behalf of Andrew and Tristan Tate, influencers who have been accused of sex trafficking and other crimes in the United Kingdom and Romania, according to a new investigative report from ProPublica.

The story, published Nov. 18, alleges attorney Paul Ingrassia asked federal investigators to return electronic devices belonging to the brothers.

Ingrassia, who at the time was working as a White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, is alleged to have "chided" investigators for seizing the Tates’ property when they entered the United States last year. That request, Ingrassia claimed, came directly from the White House, according to the report.

Andrew Tate, a former champion kickboxer, is an online influencer and media personality with millions of followers, primarily young men. He was featured in USA TODAY’s first episode of the documentary series Extremely Normal, which examined the “Manosphere,” a loosely knit network of chatrooms, social media influencers, websites, podcasts, vlogs, TikTok and YouTube channels, merchandise outfits and gaming platforms.

Andrew Tate is primarily known for his brand of hyper-masculinity. He spreads fitness, lifestyle and get-rich-quick advice alongside rhetoric instructing followers on how to sexually exploit women using the "loverboy method," a manipulation technique used to target vulnerable women. Andrew Tate and his brother willfully describe themselves as misogynists, while insisting they are respectful of women.

The Tates have long been vocal supporters of Trump and his Make America Great Again political movement.

Tate's White House relationships, such as they are, appear to have benefited the influencer in one specific way, according to The Times. The Trump administration reportedly pressured Romanian officials to release the brothers from house arrest while authorities investigate the allegations against them.

Ingrassia dropped out of contention to run the Office of Special Counsel after it was revealed he sent a string of racist text messages, including describing himself as having a “Nazi streak.” He worked at the law offices of Joseph McBride, the Tate Brothers’ personal attorney, before joining the Trump Administration.

McBride told USA TODAY the ProPublica story is a “nothingburger.” He said the Tate brothers have still not had their electronic devices returned, despite petitions he has made to several federal agencies. And he scoffed at the claim that Ingrassia would have demanded the return of the Tates’ property on behalf of the White House.

“I have no knowledge of any intervention being made by Paul at all,” McBride said. “Did Paul order anybody to do anything at the White House? No! Well first of all, Paul doesn’t have that authority.”

McBride added:

“As a young guy, making his way up in the administration, just as a practical matter, what authority does he have to do any of that stuff and why would he do that?”

ProPublica interviewed experts in federal law enforcement who called the alleged intervention by Ingrassia “highly unusual” and an “intimidation tactic.”

The Tate brothers have not been charged with any crimes in the United States and it is unclear whether there are ongoing criminal investigations against them.

McBride has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing on behalf of his clients.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump official intervened in investigation on behalf of Andrew Tate, report says

Reporting by Will Carless, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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