White House Liaison Accused of Pressuring DHS to Return Andrew Tate’s Seized Devices

Paul Ingrassia, a former attorney for Andrew Tate who later served as a White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been accused of pressing senior DHS officials to return electronic devices seized from Tate and his brother when they entered the United States in late February.

Andrew Tate, a polarizing online influencer and vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, has faced allegations of sex trafficking in the U.K., Romania and the U.S. The brothers arrived in Florida on a private jet, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained their electronic devices amid calls from some accusers that Tate be arrested upon arrival.

According to reporting, Ingrassia — who previously represented the Tate brothers — sent a written request several days after the seizure criticizing CBP’s actions and stating that the White House wanted the devices returned. The outreach alarmed DHS officials, who worried that complying could interfere with an ongoing federal investigation.

"It was so offensive to what we're all here to do, to uphold the law and protect the American people. We don't want to be seen as handing out favors," said a DHS official who reacted to the request.

Details remain unclear: officials have not publicly said why CBP initially seized the devices, whether any forensic analysis was performed or what, if anything, was discovered. John F. Tobon, a retired assistant director for Homeland Security Investigations with decades of experience analyzing seized devices, said he had "never heard of anything like that" and called any suggestion that the request came from the White House "an intimidation tactic."

Ingrassia has denied intervening. His attorney, Edward Paltzik, said Ingrassia "never ordered that the Tate Brothers' devices be returned" and called the account false. Recent disclosures about offensive group-chat messages in which Ingrassia boasted of a "Nazi streak" led to the loss of a Senate-confirmed position he previously held.

CBP issued a statement saying it "performed a 100% baggage examination and detained all electronic media devices when the Tate Brothers entered the country. Electronic media devices were detained and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for inspectional purposes." The White House declined to comment on the episode.

The episode has raised fresh concerns about the potential for political influence to affect law enforcement actions in sensitive investigations.