Julia Varvaro, the DHS's deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism, has denied wrongdoing, calling her accuser a 'mad ex'
Credit: Julia Varvaro/X
NEED TO KNOW
- DHS official Julia Varvaro denies allegations from ex-boyfriend Bob Bianchi about her financial behavior and extravagant lifestyle
- Bianchi claims Varvaro used a dating site for “sugar daddies” and raised concerns about potential national security risks, which she denied
- Varvaro disputes claims of misconduct and says the allegations stem from a failed personal relationship with Bianchi
A Department of Homeland Security official is currently under investigation amidst her ex's claims that he reported her as a potential "national security concern."
Julia Varvaro, who has served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism since May 2025, has been accused by her ex of seeking out “sugar daddies” to maintain her extravagant lifestyle.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, one of Varvaro's alleged exes, who identified himself as “Robert B.” claimed he spent $40,000 on Varvaro over the course of their three-month relationship.
PEOPLE has learned that Varvaro is on administrative leave as a result of the investigation and is no longer serving in her capacity as a deputy assistant secretary at DHS. They did not specify the details of the investigation.
PEOPLE has also confirmed that “Robert B.” is Bob Bianchi, the CEO and Founder of SDVO Solutions. Bianchi reported Varvaro to DHS, saying he was concerned about his ex's behavior and the potential impact on national security.
“I saw a national security concern and I reported it,” Bianchi tells PEOPLE in a statement. “That's what you do, even when it's personal. My relationship with Ms. Varvaro was brief and personal. It was not a ‘sugar' relationship nor do I allege she bilked me of anything. I ended the relationship, amicably.”
Credit: Julia Varvaro/X
In his interview with the Daily Mail, Bianchi claimed he took Varvaro on first-class trips to Aruba, Italy, San Diego and South Carolina during their brief romance.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Varvaro denied wrongdoing, saying, “I didn't know it was bad to go on vacation with your boyfriend.”
“We were together in an exclusive relationship,” Varvaro added. “We went on vacations. I don't know what's the problem with that.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Varvaro and the Department of Homeland Security for comment and has not heard back.
Credit: Julia Varvaro/X
However, the Daily Mail reported that Varvaro's ex lodged a complaint to the Department of Homeland Security after their relationship ended, claiming Varvaro had a profile on the website Seeking, which he claims is aimed at finding “sugar daddies.”
Seeking's catchphrase is “date people who make life better,” adding in the website's description, “Seeking stands at the forefront of sophisticated matchmaking, where accomplished individuals can make exceptional connections. Here, your aspirations can become reality, empowering you to elevate your lifestyle by finding someone who not only shares your values and ambitions but complements them.”
Bianchi claimed that Varvaro made a profile on Seeking under the name Alessia, which the Daily Mail reporter Shawn Cohen said he viewed. PEOPLE has not been able to verify the Daily Mail’s reporting. Varvaro denied having the profile to the Daily Mail, and the outlet said the profile has since been deleted.
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“She told me that she does not have college debt because sugar daddies paid for her college education,” Bianchi claimed to the Daily Mail. “She also told me directly that the $40,000 worth of jewelry on her wrists and ears are all trophies from her sugar daddies. I believe that she's under financial stress and that her actions pose a security risk.”
He told the outlet that he helped Varvaro pay $2,000 for her half of the rent and said she made multiple requests for money and purchases.
Bianchi also claimed to the Mail that Varvaro touted her position in DHS, telling him she might be able to get him VIP access to the Winter Olympics and boasting, “ICE works for me.”
Credit: Getty
Varvaro denied her ex's claims about the Winter Olympics to the Daily Mail.
He also accused her of marijuana and Xanax use while speaking to the outlet, which she additionally denied. Varvaro told the Daily Mail she has a prescription for Xanax, but denied smoking marijuana.
“I've never taken any drugs for recreational use,” she added.
As for her relationship, Varvaro shut down Bianchi's notion that her behavior during their brief romance was a threat to national security.
“I did nothing wrong,” she said. “This is just a mad ex-boyfriend putting crap together. And it's just really weird… If we made a story about every failed short relationship in D.C., this town would implode. I thought it was a great relationship until we just didn't work and that was it.”
Bianchi's company, SDVO Solutions, has active federal contracts, which he denies are connected to his romance with Varvaro.
"SDVO Solutions has held federal contracts since 2016 — nearly a decade before I ever met Ms. Varvaro," Bianchi tells PEOPLE. "Any suggestion that our personal relationship influenced government contracts is categorically false. ALL contracts referenced were awarded through a competitive government procurement process with no involvement from Ms. Varvaro. After review, I do not believe SDVO Solutions has ever had a contract with DHS. I never asked her for any favors related to her role. We dated briefly earlier this year."
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