President-elect Donald Trump's controversial top adviser on border security has come under scrutiny for a new reason, reported Rolling Stone — the suspicion that he could personally be profiting from his access to the president.
Homeland Strategic Consulting LLC, "advertises its ability to get its clients work with the federal government. The firm says on its website: 'We have a proven track record of opening doors and bringing successful relationships to our clients, resulting in tens of millions of dollars of federal contracts to private companies.'"
The firm, which was founded by border czar Tom Homan in 2018 just after he left his role of acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, also boasts of its “working relations with DHS [Department of Homeland Security], DOJ [Department of Justice], DOD [Department of Defense], and numerous foreign governments around the world.”
All of this has some ethics watchdogs concerned that Homan, who also advises the industry group Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC), may be able to use his direct connections with the incoming administration to personally profit off government contract decisions.
“When not presumably working on President-elect Trump’s kids-in-cages policy 2.0, does Mr. Homan intend to exploit his new title to steer more lucrative federal contracts to his homeland security clients for his own personal gain?” said Tony Carrk who heads up Accountable.US.
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Homan, for his part, denies there are any ethical concerns with this arrangement. “As the incoming border czar, I have recused myself from any involvement, discussion, input, or decision of any future government contracts that may be awarded by the government. Therefore, there is no conflict of interest," he told Rolling Stone.
He added, “I will be filing all appropriate documents as required by ethics rules including financial disclosures.”
This comes as Homan has drawn outrage for a number of statements he has made, including an insinuation that whole families could be deported under Trump even if the children are U.S. citizens, and repeated threats to arrest any state or local official who resists the Trump administration's mass deportation plans.
His off-the-cuff behavior has even some conservative political strategists begging Trump to make Homan dial it back.