Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2025)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, demanded answers from Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the Trump Administration’s reported efforts to pressure Romanian authorities to lift court-imposed travel restrictions on Andrew and Tristan Tate, both of whom face serious allegations of human trafficking, including trafficking of minors, rape, and money laundering, and have long expressed support for President Donald Trump.

“The Trump Administration’s willingness to pressure a foreign government to help the Tate brothers travel freely while facing serious criminal charges on violent crimes fits a pattern of placing those willing to pledge loyalty to the President—including members of extremist militias and violent street gangs who beat police officers on January 6, corrupt politicians, and dark web traffickers—above the law,” wrote Ranking Member Raskin in his letter to Secretary Rubio.

On February 27, 2025, Andrew and Tristan Tate, self-proclaimed misogynists who describe women as intrinsically lazy, flew into Fort Lauderdale, Florida, despite facing charges in Romania for rape and human trafficking and having active arrest warrants in the United Kingdom for similar charges. Alarmingly, Andrew Tate sexually assaulted his girlfriend in Los Angeles just two weeks after returning to the United States, according to a police report and a lawsuit filed by his girlfriend.

Reports indicate that senior U.S. officials lobbied Romanian authorities to lift restrictions against the Tates, who say women should bear responsibility for being sexually assaulted, allowing them to travel freely against the objections of their alleged victims. One of the Tate brothers’ former lawyers, Paul Igrassia, now serves as the White House Liaison for the Department of Justice. The Tates have publicly admitted to participating in soliciting, trafficking, and preying upon women around the world. 

The timing of the Tates’ return to the U.S. coincided with a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on “Protecting Victims of Human Trafficking and Online Exploitation,” where Democrats highlighted the Trump Administration’s attempts to gut federal anti-trafficking programs and obstruct justice in human trafficking cases. Many Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have expressed outrage over the lifting of the Tate brothers’ travel restrictions.

Click here to read the letter.