Lewandowski Ran Pay-to-Play Scheme at DHS; Noem Lied to Congress
Corey Lewandowski — installed at DHS as Noem's adviser with no experience — personally approved multimillion-dollar contracts and demanded kickbacks from contractors. Noem denied it under oath. Both were fired.
Corey Lewandowski, Trump's former campaign manager, was installed at DHS as a "special government employee" adviser to Secretary Kristi Noem — despite having no relevant government experience. He functioned as her de facto chief of staff, sat in on classified briefings, and gained access to sensitive government secrets.
ProPublica reported, with internal DHS records corroborated by four current and former officials, that Lewandowski's name was the final signature required on all contracts above $100,000 before Noem's sign-off. He personally approved multimillion-dollar contracts.
NBC News then reported that multiple DHS contractors told White House officials they were asked to pay Lewandowski. GEO Group founder George Zoley specifically reported that Lewandowski demanded compensation based on the value of GEO Group's new or renewed DHS contracts. When they refused, Lewandowski allegedly instructed a senior DHS official to block further contracts to GEO Group.
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on March 3, 2026, Noem testified under oath that Lewandowski had "no" role in approving contracts — directly contradicted by the internal DHS records. Republican Senator John Kennedy said Noem was "dead as fried chicken" after the hearing.
Noem was fired on March 5, 2026 — the first Cabinet secretary ousted in Trump's second term. Lewandowski also departed. The DHS Inspector General opened a probe, and House Democrats expanded their investigation into the pay-to-play allegations.