Julia VarvaroA senior US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official has been placed on administrative leave amid accusations of having a personal relationship and living a “sugar baby” lifestyle, the Daily Mail reports.
Varvaro will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Counterterrorism starting in 2025. She is currently under investigation after her former partner informed authorities that her behavior could pose a “security risk.” As a result of the complaint, she was removed from active activities while the investigation was ongoing, which triggered an internal review.
The Daily Mail reported on Thursday that Varvaro and Paul IngrassiaA controversial adviser to President Donald Trump.
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Ingrassia, the mysterious woman from Florida
According to the “Daily Mail” report, Varvaro was the mysterious woman who shared a room with 30-year-old Ingrassia during a business trip to Florida in July last year. The arrangement sparked an investigation when colleagues accused him of manipulative behavior.
After Politico’s news report, Varvaro denied any wrongdoing and the investigation was ultimately dismissed. Ingrassia has also refuted the accusations and filed a defamation lawsuit against Politico for reporting on the hotel incident in an article titled “Key Trump nominee accused of sexual harassment.”
However, Politico maintained the integrity of its reporting.
Ingrassia has denied wrongdoing and his representatives have called the accusations false and politically motivated. Despite the controversy, he continued to hold government-related positions. Ingrassia’s lawsuit alleges that the platonic relationship between him and Varvaro began long before Trump’s second term.
However, two of Varvaro’s ex-boyfriends disputed these claims, accusing her of going too far with Ingrassia.
Varvaro complains about Ingrassia?
Varvaro apparently had previously filed workplace complaints alleging inappropriate behavior by Ingrassia while on business trips, including claims she was forced to share a hotel room.
Politico reported in October that Varvaro, who was not named at the time, did not have a room when he checked in. Reports say she initially objected to the arrangement and ended up sleeping in a separate bed.
The Daily Mail said that while Ingrassia was investigated, Varvaro later dropped her accusations. However, Varvaro said she never felt uncomfortable around her old friend and denied ever filing a report or accusing Ingrassia of any wrongdoing.
However, Vvarvaro’s hinge date is December 2025, and Robert Bianchi told the Daily Mail that Vvarvaro admitted to him that she occasionally felt uneasy about Ingrassia.
“Julia said Ingracia was madly in love with her,” Bianchi said.
Another DHS official told the Daily Mail that Ingrassia was “craving her.” “Julia is beautiful and Paul is Paul,” the official said. “He has a lot of power over personnel decisions. He can help her get where she wants to go and she’s not the type to say no or shy away.”
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Bianchi submits a report to the inspector general
In early April, Robert Bianchi filed a complaint with the inspector general alleging that Varvaro maintained a profile on a dating platform related to “sugar baby” arrangements and accepted expensive gifts, travel and financial support during a brief relationship. Bianchi claimed he spent tens of thousands of dollars during their time together and expressed concerns about financial stress and judgment.
The Department of Homeland Security took action hours after the Daily Mail revealed the sugar daddy story. Julia Varvaro no longer serves as deputy assistant secretary of Homeland Security and is on administrative leave pending the investigation, according to a spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Ingrassia currently serves as acting general counsel for the U.S. General Services Administration, leading a team of attorneys responsible for enforcing the president’s executive orders.
