Kristi Noem’s right-hand man—and alleged “loverboy”—had even more access to sensitive government secrets than previously known.
Corey Lewandowski, a top aide to the ousted Homeland Security secretary, wielded the full might of the Department of Homeland Security—sitting in on classified briefings and weighing in on contracts approved by the agency, The New York Times reported Saturday.
More than 20 current and former Trump administration officials told the Times that Lewandowski, who was brought on by Noem, 54, to serve only 130 days annually as a special government employee, built a system in which he was privy to all the department’s resources—and secrets.
Lewandowski, who is married, has been glued to Noem’s side since she stepped into her role last January. During that time, the former Trump adviser reportedly cast a powerful vote on most of the department’s ground operations and personnel decisions and was the driving force behind Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino’s ascension to power.
Bovino announced he was departing the agency this month following his leadership of immigration crackdowns across the country that saw two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis killed by federal agents.
Lewandowski also reportedly placed employees on leave on a whim over trivial matters, sources told the Times. Last month, the 52-year-old made headlines for reportedly firing a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after a blanket belonging to Noem was left behind on a different plane.
More insight into the vast power Lewandowski wielded at DHS comes from additional reporting alleging that he sought personal paydays by steering companies seeking highly lucrative government contracts.
Last week, NBC News reported that Lewandowski is alleged to have requested payment from the private prison company GEO Group as it sought to renew contracts with the government that could potentially expand its role in the Trump administration’s hardline and costly mass deportation plans.
During a meeting with the company, Lewandowski allegedly told Zoley he wanted to be paid in exchange for “protecting and growing” GEO Group’s DHS contracts, which Zoley declined, NBC News reported.
“He wanted payments—what some people would call a success fee,” a source familiar with the matter told NBC News. Lewandowski has denied the reporting on the meetings.
Lewandowski is also facing scrutiny over claims that he personally benefited from a $220 million anti-immigration ad campaign featuring Noem—known for her love of highly stylized photo ops—riding a horse and wearing a cowboy hat.
The Daily Beast has reached out to Lewandowski for comment. Adam Trigg, a lawyer for Lewandowski, denied allegations that the former Trump advisor was seeking payments from government contractors in a statement to the New York Times, saying it was not supported by “a single piece of evidence.”
Even before Trump announced that he was kicking Noem, who is also married, out of DHS, Lewandowski’s involvement in the department raised concerns across the political spectrum—including, reportedly, within the White House.
Noem, who is also married, was backed into a corner earlier this month over her widely reported affair with Lewandowski—which has been described as the “worst-kept secret in Washington, D.C.”—during a congressional hearing, when she was asked about the relationship by Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
“This is what you do—the socialist liberal left—is you go off and you attack conservative women," Noem fired back after refusing to directly deny the allegations for the record. That’s when she declared she was neither “stupid” nor a “sl-t.”
