Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski, the longtime Trump political adviser who wielded sweeping power inside the Department of Homeland Security, over allegations that he profited from his government role and improperly handled government contracts.
Photo: Pithon314, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lewandowski served as an unpaid special government employee but functioned as de facto chief of staff to then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The investigation began with a criminal referral from the DHS Inspector General's office, which has been examining Lewandowski's involvement in certain government contracts. He reportedly signed some DHS contracts despite questions about whether he had the legal authority to do so, and some FEMA-linked grants and contracts were put on hold at his direction.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the investigation on Thursday. Reuters confirmed the probe through four sources, and CNN has also reported it. The Justice Department has not yet issued subpoenas in the case.
Lewandowski's lawyer, Adam Trigg, denies all wrongdoing and says his client has not been contacted by the Justice Department. Asked about the investigation by reporters, President Trump said: "I want my people to be honest... if they're not honest, they have to be prosecuted."
The case is notable because Trump's Justice Department has rarely turned its investigative power on the president's own allies. This is the same department that has pursued cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, two prominent Trump critics — prosecutions that Democrats have condemned as political retribution.
Lewandowski has been one of Trump's most loyal operatives since managing his 2016 campaign, surviving controversies that would have ended most political careers. Whether the DHS contracts probe becomes a formal case will depend on what investigators find in the contract records — and on how far the inspector general's referral goes inside a Justice Department led by Trump appointees.