US justice department investigating Corey Lewandowski over DHS role
Trump's former campaign manager is reportedly being investigated for allegedly using his role at the Department of Homeland for financial gain.
US Justice Department probes Corey Lewandowski over DHS role
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking into whether Corey Lewandowski, a former top aide to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, personally benefited financially from his position, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS News.
Lewandowski worked closely with Noem as a special government employee until March, when both were removed amid a string of controversies, including the fatal shootings of US citizens by immigration officers.
A source told CBS that the investigation concerns contracts the agency entered into under Noem’s leadership.
“Mr Lewandowski has not been contacted by the justice department regarding any investigation,” his lawyer, Adam Trigg, said.
When asked about the probe on Thursday, President Donald Trump said he had heard about it but did not know the specifics, adding, “I want my people to be honest”.
“And if they’re not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted,” he said.
Lewandowski was Trump’s campaign manager during his first presidential bid in 2016 and later helped advise his 2024 campaign.
DHS officials told Reuters that Lewandowski had signed off on some DHS contracts even though, as a special government employee, he did not have the legal authority to do so.
They also said he allegedly froze certain grants and contracts, including some tied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Special government employees are temporary advisers to federal agencies and face strict limits on how much they may work and what they are allowed to do.
The Justice Department opened the investigation after receiving a referral from the DHS inspector general’s office, which consists of lawyers responsible for overseeing the agency’s conduct and operations.
At DHS, Lewandowski acted as Noem’s de facto chief of staff.
Noem herself was also embroiled in a contract controversy. Shortly before she left office, lawmakers questioned her over the process she used to award a $220m (£164m) advertising contract to two companies with links to her and people in her inner circle.
External reports also said Lewandowski allegedly tried to use his DHS role for financial gain by asking Middle Eastern countries to hire him privately to help with visa matters and other DHS issues.