Overview

• Lawmakers led by Rep. Jamie Raskin sent a new letter to Edmund Woodward after prior inquiries to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel went unanswered.
• At a Senate hearing, Bondi said the Justice Department found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the matter but did not say whether the purported $50,000 was returned.
• Reports from MSNBC and the New York Times say undercover FBI agents recorded Tom Homan in September 2024 accepting $50,000 while discussing help securing federal contracts; the recordings have not been made public.
• Democrats note Woodward oversaw transition vetting and argue standard procedures should have alerted DOJ leadership and the transition team to the allegations before Homan’s appointment.
• Coverage says the probe opened in Texas, stalled after the inauguration, and was closed by Trump appointees, while Homan and the White House deny any cash handoff or illegal conduct.