Controversial influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who face rape and sex-trafficking charges in the UK and Romania, recently spent several days in Washington D.C. as guests of Donald Trump's special envoy, Paolo Zampolli. Zampolli, a former modeling agency boss known for introducing Donald Trump to Melania, confirmed hosting a summer gathering for approximately 150 guests at his Northwest D.C. residence on Wednesday.
Zampolli stated the event was a summer gathering and not connected to his State Department role, which he began in March 2025 as special envoy for global partnerships. He indicated the Tate brothers were in the capital for business meetings. The State Department has reportedly experienced internal conflict with Zampolli, with some staff members expressing embarrassment over his actions.
Encounters with Political Figures
The brothers also visited Capitol Hill, where a photograph obtained by the Daily Mail shows them posing with Texas Representative Wesley Hunt in his congressional office. The meeting was reportedly arranged after Tristan Tate contacted Hunt through the congressman's social media aide. A source familiar with the meeting stated Hunt was "beyond excited to meet with them." During their time in the office, the Tates reportedly bragged about their experiences in a Romanian prison, including daily push-ups.
Hunt, a Houston congressman and Army veteran who began his term in 2023, brands himself as a loyal supporter of Donald Trump. He recently finished third in the Republican Senate primary in Texas. The Daily Mail contacted Hunt for comment.
Elite Club Visit and Member Reaction
On Tuesday, the Tate brothers visited The Ned, an exclusive private members' club near the White House frequented by cabinet secretaries. Multiple sources told the Daily Mail that members at the club were shocked by the brothers' presence and complained to management. Witnesses reported the brothers smoking cigars outside the club, and they reportedly left around 11 p.m. to get drinks elsewhere. A source noted that "people in the administration were scared to be seen with Tate."
Legal Background and Past Connections
Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Romania in December 2022. In June 2023, they were charged with human trafficking and forming an organized crime group for the sexual exploitation of women; Andrew Tate also faces a rape charge. In August 2024, Romanian prosecutors expanded the case to include money laundering, witness intimidation, and complicity in the trafficking of minors. British prosecutors filed 21 charges in May 2025, including rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking. Romanian courts have ruled that the pair will be extradited to the UK after proceedings in Romania conclude. The brothers deny all charges.
In February 2025, the Tates flew from Romania to Florida after a travel ban was lifted, a reversal that followed reports of pressure from figures within the Trump administration. At the time, then-President Trump told reporters he knew "nothing about it." ProPublica later reported that a White House official intervened to ensure electronic devices seized from the brothers upon their arrival in Florida were returned.
Zampolli's past includes a long-standing friendship with Melania Trump, whom he claims to have introduced to Donald Trump in the 1990s. His modeling agency also sponsored Melania's US visa. Zampolli's decades in New York's fashion and society circles also placed him in proximity to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. He was a patron of Zampolli's modeling agency, and they were partners in an unsuccessful bid to purchase Elite Model Management in 2004. An email from the Epstein files reportedly shows Epstein referring to "zampoli" as "trouble." In 2013, Zampolli was named as a partner in The TerraMar Project, an ocean charity founded by Maxwell. No public evidence has connected Zampolli to Epstein's or Maxwell's crimes.
Zampolli was appointed to the Kennedy Center's board of trustees by Trump in 2020. His role as special envoy for global partnerships, though undefined publicly, has involved international travel for sports diplomacy and brokering deals. Zampolli's financial disclosures for this role have not been made public.
A spokesperson for the Tate brothers told the Daily Mail that they possess "unmatched" influence on the upcoming election and are welcomed by both parties due to their command of millions of young male voters and a growing number of female voters.