The Office of Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security has opened an inquiry that points to Corey Lewandowski’s conduct while serving as a senior aide, spotlighting contract approvals, unusual access, and tangled workplace drama that followed Kristi Noem’s brief tenure as DHS secretary.
The OIG letter to Congress described a pattern of obstruction that limited watchdog oversight during a rocky period at DHS, and the new findings have focused attention on Lewandowski’s role in contracting and personnel decisions. Reports indicate investigators are examining whether Lewandowski improperly influenced contract awards while serving in an unpaid capacity, signing documents and directing work that typically falls to full-time officials. That involvement, if confirmed, would raise serious questions about governance and accountability inside a critical security agency.
The OIG’s review has uncovered evidence suggesting Lewandowski took on responsibilities far beyond what his title allowed, including hands-on involvement with contract signings. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and select White House staff have been briefed on the inquiry as investigators consider whether to refer the matter to the Justice Department, though sources caution a referral is not imminent. Officials say the investigation continues, and the timeline for any criminal referral remains uncertain.
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The letter documents several alleged instances in which leadership is said to have stymied the independent agency watchdog, including a critical probe into the Secret Service’s failures involving the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Investigators have found evidence that Corey Lewandowski may have been involved in improperly awarding government contracts during his time as a senior aide at the Department of Homeland Security, according to people familiar with the matter.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and White House officials have been briefed on the inquiry, as investigators weigh a potential criminal referral to the Justice Department, the people said.
The investigation is ongoing, and a referral isn’t imminent, some of the people said.
Those closest to the probe say the investigators were surprised by how entrenched Lewandowski was in contract decisions, some noting he personally signed specific agreements despite not being a full-time government employee. The records and witness accounts under review point to an expanded portfolio that included directing personnel and approving contracting choices. That level of involvement from an unpaid aide flies in the face of standard protocols for federal procurement and raises legitimate oversight concerns.
Lewandowski was a top aide to former DHS secretary Kristi Noem until March, when President Trump ousted Noem because of the drama and infighting at the agency. Lewandowski served in the role in an unpaid capacity, and took on a much more expansive portfolio than that status typically allows, The Wall Street Journal previously reported, including directing personnel and making contracting decisions.
The investigators are examining many of the contracts the department signed in Noem’s tenure, and department officials had been surprised at how involved Lewandowski was in the process, some of the people said. He personally signed specific contracts, according to people who reviewed those documents or had knowledge of the approvals, despite not technically serving as a full-time U.S. government official.
Beyond contracting questions, critics point to a string of management missteps, media-driven controversies, and personnel actions that occurred while Noem and Lewandowski were running DHS. The pair reportedly used a leased 737 MAX with a private cabin for travel, and the department has been in the process of acquiring the aircraft for approximately $70 million. Reports of a $220 million ad campaign and promotional stunts like “ICE Barbie” material added to internal turbulence and public scrutiny during that administration.
Allegations of improper behavior and messy personal dynamics also shadowed their time in Washington, complicating any attempt to separate workplace governance from personal conduct. Photos and reporting placed Lewandowski frequently at Noem’s residence and at a government-owned waterfront house the secretary moved into for security reasons. The department maintained that the move was for safety and that rent was being paid, even as gossip and accusations swirled through the agency halls.
After photos in the Daily Mail showed Lewandowski going back and forth between his apartment and Noem’s across the street last year, the secretary moved into a government-owned waterfront house on a military base in Washington that is provided to the leader of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard falls under Noem’s purview at DHS during peacetime. Lewandowski also spends time at the house.
The DHS spokeswoman said Noem moved to the house for increased security and pays rent.
Lewandowski and Noem, who are both married, have publicly denied the reports of an affair, but people said they do little to hide their relationship inside the department. The DHS spokeswoman said the department “doesn’t waste time with salacious, baseless gossip.”
The pair have lately been using a luxury 737 MAX jet, with a private cabin in back, for their travel around the country, according to people familiar with the matter. DHS is leasing the plane but is in the process of acquiring it for approximately $70 million. DHS has previously used other planes through the Coast Guard or other agencies for the secretary’s use.
There are familiar allegations in Lewandowski’s record that Republicans and conservatives have previously shrugged off or disputed, but these new oversight findings change the stakes. Past controversies include accusations from 2016 and 2021 involving confrontations and claims of inappropriate conduct that led to his removal from some party roles. Those episodes, combined with the OIG’s current focus, make it harder for allies to dismiss the probe as mere politics.
Mullin and his team have cooperated with the investigation, according to sources, and Lewandowski has denied issuing contracts while at the department and said he had not been contacted about the ongoing inquiry. The DHS has declined to detail its response publicly, insisting some matters are under review. With watchdog access apparently restored after leadership changes, investigators now have an opening to follow the paper trail and interview witnesses without the same level of obstruction that was alleged earlier.
What remains clear is that any proven misuse of contracting authority or improper approvals would be a major breach of public trust, especially inside an agency tied to national security. The OIG probe is still active, and Republicans who value transparency and stewardship of taxpayer dollars will push for clarity and accountability as investigators sort through files, approvals, and firsthand accounts. The public deserves a full airing of what happened and firm corrective action where rules were bent or broken.
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