DHS official at center of 'sugar baby' scandal had accused boss of sex harassment: report

A Department of Homeland Security official who was accused of using a "sugar baby" platform to fund her lifestyle had apparently accused her former boss of sexual harassment before the allegations surfaced, according to reports on Wednesday.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism Julia Varvaro, 29, was placed on leave after she was accused of soliciting funds from "sugar daddy" men on the website Seeking.com in a report from The Daily Mail. She denied the allegations and said that an ex-boyfriend was disgruntled after they ended their relationship.

"The agency’s swift action against the 29-year-old stands in stark contrast to its response months earlier when she accused her then-superior, Paul Ingrassia, of sexual harassment," The Daily Beast reported.

She filed a complaint against Ingrassia, who was then serving as the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, in 2025. She withdrew it just days later due to fear.

"In October, after Donald Trump nominated the 30-year-old to lead the Office of Special Counsel—which handles workplace harassment and discrimination claims—her allegations were leaked. Sources have now revealed to the Daily Beast that this woman was, in fact, the embattled Varvaro," the outlet reported.

Ingrassia allegedly cancelled a hotel room reservation at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando for Varvaro during a Florida work trip and forced her to share a bedroom suite with him instead, according to the complaint obtained by Politico in October.

Trump ended up withdrawing Ingrassia's nomination after leaked group chat messages among young Republicans were revealed amid allegations that Ingrassia had used racial slurs and described having a "Nazi streak."