The White House intervened on behalf of the Tate brothers during a federal investigation

The White House is accused of intervening in favor of Andrew Tate, accused of sex trafficking, during a federal investigation.

Federal authorities have been criticized for confiscating electronic devices from Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, upon their arrival in the United States, and White House officials allegedly requested their return, as shown by recordings and interviews obtained by ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative journalism publication.

The cited publication reminds that online influencer Andrew Tate, who describes himself as a misogynist and has millions of young followers, was facing accusations of trafficking women in three countries when he and his brother left Romania for a visit to the United States in February.

“The Tate brothers will be free, Trump is president. The good times of yore have returned,” Andrew Tate posted on X - one of the many times he praised Trump.

When the Tate brothers arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Customs and Border Protection officers confiscated their electronic devices.

But they had a powerful ally who came to their aid. The White House intervened on their behalf. Interviews and recordings analyzed by ProPublica show that a White House official told senior officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to return the Tate brothers' devices a few days after they were confiscated.

The official who conveyed the message, Paul Ingrassia, is a lawyer who had previously represented the Tate brothers before joining the White House, where he worked as a liaison with DHS.

In his written request, a copy of which was analyzed by ProPublica, Ingrassia criticized the authorities for taking this action, stating that confiscating the Tate brothers' devices was not a good use of time or resources. He emphasized that the request for returning the electronic devices came from the White House.

The incident is the latest in a series of cases where Trump's White House has intervened to help friends. Since taking office, Trump has pardoned a number of political allies. Andrew Tate is one of the most prominent members of the so-called manosphere, a group of influencers, podcasters, and content creators who campaigned for Trump.

And news of the White House's intervention on behalf of the Tate brothers, accused of sex trafficking, comes as Trump is criticized for his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.

Alarm Signal Within DHS

Ingrassia's intervention raised an alarm within DHS officials, who feared that complying with the instructions could affect an ongoing federal investigation, according to interviews and screenshots of conversations between officials.

An involved official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "It was so offensive because we are all here to respect the law and protect the American people. We don't want to be seen as giving favors."

It is not clear why law enforcement wanted to examine the Tate brothers' devices, what their analysis revealed, or if Ingrassia's intervention hindered any investigation. The White House and DHS have declined to answer questions about this incident.

However, law enforcement experts have stated that it is highly unusual for White House officials to get involved in individual cases of border confiscation or to ask authorities to relinquish custody of potential evidence in an investigation.

"I have never heard of such a thing in my 30 years of work," said John F. Tobon, former Deputy Director at Homeland Security Investigations, who typically analyzes the content of electronic devices after they are confiscated by Customs.

"For anyone to say that this request is coming from the White House, it seems like an intimidation tactic," he added.

The Tate brothers' lawyer, Joseph McBride, stated that he does not know what happened to the devices, but they were not returned to his clients. He said it is unclear if there is any investigation regarding their content.