A Republican firm with ties to top brass at the Department of Homeland Security has been awarded a $250,000 contract by the department, a new report reveals.
The consulting firm in question, American Made Media Company (AMMC) LLC, is led by former campaign officials of President Donald Trump who have connections to Corey Lewandowski, a top adviser and alleged lover of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The Guardian revealed on Thursday that the company was awarded the contract in September after an unusually quick application period. The paper writes that the contract was posted on Sept. 26 and that bids were due the following day.
Homeland Security’s posting for the contract made it clear that it wanted PR professionals aligned with MAGA—a departure from federal procurement guidelines.
“The contractor must demonstrate an established track record of promoting Trump administration policies in the media,” the listing stated, according to the Guardian.
The listing added that preference would be given to firms “with prior experience in Cabinet-level communications, particularly those who served in a cabinet agency during the first Trump presidency.”
American Made Media Company, which was founded in early 2025, was officially awarded the contract four days later. The Guardian writes that the DHS contract appears to be the group’s first with the federal government.
Among those working for the Virginia-based firm are Sean Dollman, CFO of the 2020 and 2024 Trump campaigns; Nick Trainer, director of battleground strategy for the 2020 campaign; and Justin Clark, deputy campaign manager for Trump in 2020.
Lewandowski, 52, was Trump’s campaign manager in 2016 and worked closely with Clark and Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, CNN reported that year.
Despite technically being a special government employee, Lewandowski has been “directing personnel and contracting” for DHS in MAGA 2.0, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month. That same report noted that the married Noem, 54, has been jetting around the country with Lewandowski, who is also married, aboard a luxury 737 MAX that features a private cabin and bed—a detail that has only increased speculation about their alleged romantic relationship.
Experts told the Guardian that the contract awarded to AMMC was not just “highly unusual,” but may even be unprecedented in the way it was awarded.
“Talk about fast tracking, the bid was only open for 31 hours, and work began three days later,” said Scott Amey, who serves as general counsel for the nonpartisan watchdog Project on Government Oversight. “Speed often results in bad deals for the public.”
Amey added that the application’s explicit request for pro-Trump firms“ violates general contracting safeguards against bias and preferential treatment.”
“While we know contracts are often steered to friendly companies, this is the first time I have seen such political bias in writing,” she told the Guardian.
In a statement to the Beast, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said it was natural for the department to seek out a consulting firm that is ideologically aligned with the administration.
“It is not surprising that the Department of Homeland Security, which has proved to be an excellent steward of taxpayer dollars under the Trump administration, would require any organization tasked with public affairs not only be proven to do the job but also be aligned with the agency’s mission,” she said.
The statement added, “The contract specifically called for the in-depth knowledge of the current administration’s platform, policies, and priorities as well as technical expertise in communications and media services, with a clear understanding of DHS priorities and the administration’s objectives.”
