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A Newfield High School graduate and Long Island native serving as a senior counterterrorism official at the Department of Homeland Security is under scrutiny in a federal “sugar daddy” probe tied to allegations involving a personal relationship and financial entanglements.
Julia Varvaro, 29, a deputy assistant secretary at DHS, has been placed on administrative leave following a complaint from a former boyfriend that triggered an internal review, according to multiple reports, including Fox News, TMZ, and The Daily Beast.
The complaint alleges Varvaro, a 2014 graduate of Newfield High School, engaged in a financially entangled relationship in which the former partner claims he spent $40,000 on travel, luxury gifts and other expenses on her after the pair met on the dating website Hinge, the Daily Mail reported.
Further, the ex-lover said the Selden native maintained a profile on seeking.com, a dating site often used by young, attractive singles looking for older, wealthier partners to help fund their luxury lifestyles, according to the Daily Mail report.
She used a pseudonym “Alessia” for her seeking.com profile and claimed its owner worked for a government agency and offered “seductive sophistication,” the report says.
The former boyfriend alleged that the relationship and associated conduct raised potential concerns given her role in counterterrorism operations.
Failed relationship
The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly detailed the scope of the inquiry, but officials have confirmed she has been placed on administrative leave pending review, the reports said.
Varvaro has denied wrongdoing, reportedly telling The Daily Mail that the allegations are the product of a personal dispute stemming from a failed relationship. She has disputed claims tied to the alleged financial arrangement and platform use, according to news reports.
The investigation remains ongoing, according to the reports.
Greater Long Island was unable to reach Julia Varvaro for comment.
Three degrees
The Newfield alumna earned multiple degrees from St. John’s University in Queens, including a bachelor’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in homeland security, and a doctoral degree in the same field in 2024, according to a recently deleted university report that had been posted St. John’s website.
She is listed as an adjunct professor at St. John’s; the university’s website indicates she teaches a professional studies course called Introduction to Intelligence (HLS 1010).
After earning her doctorate, she joined DHS and rose into a senior counterterrorism role focused on national security policy and threat prevention. She has also worked for FEMA as a program analyst.
Younger sister works at the White House
Varvaro’s younger sister Gina, a 2017 Newfield High School graduate, works as a White House liaison with the U.S. Department of Justice. Her LinkedIn account notes that she’s worked for the Justice Department since January 2025.
Gina Varvaro also attended St. John’s University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, as well as a law degree. At St. John’s, she was a frequent contributor to the student newspaper, The Torch.
Top: (left) Julia Varvaro’s senior class photo from Newfield High School’s 2014 yearbook and (right) LinkedIn photo of Varvaro.
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