Corey Lewandowskis brief, unpaid stint at the Department of Homeland Security is now under intense scrutiny amid allegations that he operated as a de facto shadow secretary and sought to leverage his access for personal gain.
Lewandowski, a longtime confidant of Donald Trump, served as an unpaid special government employee" at DHS from roughly April 2025 until March 2026, nominally advising thenHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, with whom he has long been rumored to have a romantic relationship. According to RedStates summary of a new Wall Street Journal investigation, officials inside the department came to view him less as a volunteer adviser and more as an unelected power broker with sweeping influence over policy and spending.
The report alleges that Lewandowski exerted substantial control over personnel decisions and immigration policy, despite never having been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He is said to have exercised de facto authority over billions in spending at Homeland Security, a level of influence that would normally be reserved for Senate-confirmed officials accountable to both Congress and the public.
The Journal notes that Kristi Noems close adviser effectively controlled billions in spending at Homeland Security, even as Lewandowski publicly denies any effort to cash in on his role. Lewandowski denies seeking business or playing any role in the agencys contracts, the report states, underscoring the sharp contrast between his denials and the concerns now driving an inspector general investigation.
One of the most serious sets of allegations involves Lewandowskis reported outreach to senior officials from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, where he allegedly pitched private consulting work while still embedded at DHS. Hire me on the side, the longtime Trump aide who was effectively the shadow secretary at the department last year, told them, according to people familiar with his pitch, the Journal reported, adding that He said he could help the tiny, wealthy Gulf state[s] with any issues that fell under the departments purview, such as visas, the people said.
Both Gulf governments ultimately declined the overtures, but the episodes, if accurately described, suggest an attempt to monetize privileged access to one of the most powerful agencies in Washington. The alleged moneymaking efforts, which appeared to be offers by Lewandowski to sell government services for personal gain, came while he had an expansive portfolio at one of the most powerful agencies in the federal government, the Journal wrote, noting that his role gave him de facto decision-making authority over large amounts of recently appropriated billions of dollars, the presidents border and immigration enforcement agenda and the collection of tariffs, which have been vastly expanded under President Trump.
The report further raises questions about Lewandowskis involvement in negotiations with data-analytics giant Palantir over a multibillion-dollar contract, as well as a long-running feud with immigration contractor GEO Group after it reportedly declined to hire him as a lobbyist. It also highlights his apparent ties to a $2.3 million FEMA grant awarded to a small conservative nonprofit outside the usual competitive process, a move that has fueled concerns about favoritism and back-channel influence.
Federal ethics rules for special government employees are explicit about the limits on outside activity while serving in such roles. The Justice Department guidance states: "Generally, you should not engage in outside activities, including employment, that conflict with your official duties. An activity conflicts with your duties if it would require you to disqualify yourself from matters so critical that your ability to perform your duties would be impaired."
The DHS inspector general is now examining whether contracts were improperly steered and whether Lewandowski or his associates personally benefited from the departments spending decisions. Investigators are reportedly focusing on his role in selecting contractors, including several high-dollar awards that drew attention during Noems tenure and that, if mishandled, would represent a serious breach of public trust.
Reaction online has been swift and polarized, with critics seizing on the report as evidence of unchecked influence and self-dealing inside a key national security agency. Some commentators have described the situation as "insane levels of corruption" during Lewandowski's DHS tenure, while others warn that "mind-blowing corruption" is "happening before our eyes," underscoring the need for a thorough, transparent accounting of who wielded power at DHSand to whose benefit.
Login