{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-peters-launch-inquiry-into-trump-staffer-paul-ingrassias-interference-in-federal-investigation-of-andrew_tristian-tate", "Blumenthal & Peters Launch Inquiry into Trump Staffer Paul Ingrassia's Interference in Federal Investigation of Andrew & Tristan Tate", "2025-11-21", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, yesterday launched an inquiry into Trump staffer Paul Ingrassia\u2019s interference in a federal investigation of alleged rapists and human traffickers Andrew and Tristian Tate. This week, ProPublica reported that Ingrassia, while serving as White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), personally intervened in a federal investigation of the Tates, who are facing multiple criminal and civil charges of sex trafficking and rape in three different countries.\n\nIn letters sent to White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, White House Counsel David Warrington, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Blumenthal and Peters requested all records and communications regarding Ingrassia\u2019s actions. In a letter to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, Blumenthal and Peters called for the Office of the Inspector General to open an investigation into Ingrassia\u2019s conduct and whether his interference in the Tate investigation occurred at the direction of the White House.\n\n\u201cAfter Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized the Tate brothers\u2019 electronic devices upon their February 2025 arrival in the United States, Mr. Ingrassia reportedly reprimanded DHS officials for doing so and directed them to return the devices to them. Mr. Ingrassia reportedly made clear to the DHS officials that this demand was coming directly from the White House,\u201d the Senators wrote to Wiles and Warrington.\n\nThe Senators raised concerns about Ingrassia\u2019s preexisting relationship with the Tate brothers: \u201cMr. Ingrassia\u2019s alleged actions in this case constitute a brazen interference with a federal investigation in an apparent attempt to provide favorable treatment to individuals with whom he has a preexisting relationship. Prior to joining the Administration, Mr. Ingrassia had been a member of the legal team representing the Tate brothers. Additionally, Mr. Ingrassia has heaped extensive praise on the Tate brothers in statements and social media posts.\u201d\n\n\u201cMr. Ingrassia\u2019s behavior raises grave questions regarding the independence and impartiality of federal law enforcement operations and the White House\u2019s potential meddling in such investigations. Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s reported actions may have violated government ethics rules and other legal standards of conduct. Moreover, appallingly, this alleged conduct would mean that the White House allowed a self-proclaimed \u2018Nazi\u2019 to intervene in a federal investigation to protect indicted rapists and child sex traffickers. If this behavior is not examined and addressed, it could dangerously undermine the independence, legitimacy, and effectiveness of DHS law enforcement operations and implicate the White House as complicit in the most heinous crimes and hateful ideologies imaginable,\u201d the Senators concluded.\n\nThe full text of Blumenthal and Peters\u2019 letter to the White House is available here and below. Similar letters sent to Secretary Noem and Inspector General Cuffari are available here and here.\n\nNovember 20, 2025\n\nVIA EMAIL\n\nSusan Wiles\n\nChief of Staff\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDavid Warrington\n\nWhite House Counsel\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDear Ms. Wiles and Mr. Warrington,\n\nOn November 18, 2025, ProPublica reported that Paul Ingrassia, while serving as White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), personally intervened in a federal investigation of the online influencer brothers and alleged rapists and human traffickers, Andrew and Tristan Tate.[1] After Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized the Tate brothers\u2019 electronic devices upon their February 2025 arrival in the United States, Mr. Ingrassia reportedly reprimanded DHS officials for doing so and directed them to return the devices to them.[2] Mr. Ingrassia reportedly made clear to the DHS officials that this demand was coming directly from the White House.[3]\n\nThe individuals whom Mr. Ingrassia reportedly intervened to assist, Andrew and Tristan Tate, are extremist online media personalities facing multiple criminal and civil charges of sex trafficking and rape in three different countries.[4] Andrew Tate is a self-described \u201cmisogynist\u201d[5] who has said that women \u201care given to the man and belong to the man,\u201d[6] and should \u201cbear some responsibility\u201d for being raped.[7] Mr. Tate has also questioned whether the Nazis were really the \u201cbad guy[s]\u201d of World War II.[8] Mr. Tate and his brother, Tristan, have been indicted in Romania for human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women;[9] charged in the United Kingdom with 21 counts of sex crimes, including rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking;[10] sued for sexual assault in California[11] and the United Kingdom;[12] and placed under formal investigation for potential crimes in Florida.[13]\n\nMr. Ingrassia has his own history of deeply troubling conduct. He has reportedly described himself as having \u201ca Nazi streak\u201d and insisted that \u201c[w]e need competent white men in positions of leadership\u201d because \u201c[t]he founding fathers were wrong that all men are created equal.\u201d[14] Mr. Ingrassia has made countless other bigoted and incendiary remarks, including, according to reports, that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be \u201ctossed into the seventh circle of hell,\u201d that he would \u201c[n]ever trust a chinaman or Indian,\u201d and that the October 7th attack on Israel should be dismissed as a \u201cpsyop.\u201d[15]\n\nMr. Ingrassia\u2019s alleged actions in this case constitute a brazen interference with a federal investigation in an apparent attempt to provide favorable treatment to individuals with whom he has a preexisting relationship. Prior to joining the Administration, Mr. Ingrassia had been a member of the legal team representing the Tate brothers.[16] Additionally, Mr. Ingrassia has heaped extensive praise on the Tate brothers in statements and social media posts. For example, he called Andrew Tate \u201can extraordinary human being\u201d whose \u201cphysical prowess\u201d and \u201cwillpower and spirit\u201d make him \u201cthe embodiment of the ancient ideal of excellence.\u201d[17]\n\nMr. Ingrassia\u2019s behavior raises grave questions regarding the independence and impartiality of federal law enforcement operations and the White House\u2019s potential meddling in such investigations. Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s reported actions may have violated government ethics rules and other legal standards of conduct. Moreover, appallingly, this alleged conduct would mean that the White House allowed a self-proclaimed \u201cNazi\u201d to intervene in a federal investigation to protect indicted rapists and child sex traffickers. If this behavior is not examined and addressed, it could dangerously undermine the independence, legitimacy, and effectiveness of DHS law enforcement operations and implicate the White House as complicit in the most heinous crimes and hateful ideologies imaginable.\n\nTo assist the Committees\u2019 understanding of potential White House involvement in protecting known sexual predators, please provide the following information to the Committees by December 4, 2025:\n\nWas Paul Ingrassia\u2019s decision to intervene on behalf of Andrew and Tristan Tate made on his own volition or at the direction of White House personnel?\n\nIf the former, when and how did White House personnel become aware of Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s representation that he was acting at the direction of the White House?\n\nWhat actions, if any, did the White House take in response to Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s conduct, and when?\n\nIf the latter, who instructed Mr. Ingrassia to intervene, and why?\n\nWho at the White House was aware of Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s intervention on behalf of Andrew and Tristan Tate?\n\nIn addition, please produce the following records[18] on or before December 4, 2025:\n\nAll communications between White House personnel and any current or former DHS personnel, including but not limited to Mr. Ingrassia, referring or relating to Andrew or Tristan Tate.\n\nAll internal White House communications referring or relating to Andrew or Tristan Tate.\n\nAll White House communications with third parties referring or relating to Andrew or Tristan Tate.\n\nAll communications referring or relating to Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s instructions to DHS personnel on behalf of Andrew and Tristan Tate, including communications referring or relating to any steps taken to address this conduct.\n\nPlease contact the Committees should you have any questions about responding to these requests. Thank you for your attention to this matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-peters-launch-inquiry-into-trump-staffer-paul-ingrassias-interference-in-federal-investigation-of-andrew_tristian-tate"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4756179880350828, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}