Washington, D.C. — Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after the agencies failed to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking the release of a key recording. The requested recording reportedly captures now–White House Border Czar Tom Homan accepting a $50,000 cash payment from undercover FBI agents in September 2024 — shortly before joining the Trump-Vance Administration.

Despite widespread public interest and multiple requests from members of Congress, the DOJ and FBI have not moved quickly to make the recording public. On September 20, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel announced that their agencies had “found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing” and had closed the investigation. The administration’s decision to close the matter, combined with its acknowledgment of the recording’s existence, raises urgent questions about government integrity and transparency.

“The Trump-Vance administration continues to erode public trust and weaken accountability with the American people,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “These law enforcement agencies must follow the law and release this critical recording without delay. The public deserves answers about why this investigation was closed and whether senior Trump officials are being shielded from scrutiny that would apply to anyone else.”

Democracy Forward’s lawsuit seeks an order requiring the DOJ and FBI to grant expedited processing and promptly release the non-exempt portions of the recording. 

The case, Democracy Forward Foundation v. U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The legal team at Democracy Forward in this case includes Daniel McGrath, Amy Vickery, and Robin Thurston.

Read the complaint here.