DOJ Opens Criminal Investigation Into Corey Lewandowski's DHS Role, Sources Say

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski, the longtime Trump ally who served as de facto chief of staff to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The probe began after DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari sent prosecutors a criminal referral on Lewandowski's conduct. The Wall Street Journal first reported the investigation Thursday, Oct. 22.

Lewandowski has not been charged with a crime.

What the investigation covers

The allegations center on whether Lewandowski used his DHS position for personal financial gain, according to two sources who spoke to CBS News. One of them tied the allegations to contracts established during Noem's tenure. Other sources described a broader look at DHS contracting activity in the first year of Trump's second term.

Four people told Reuters the inquiry grew out of the inspector general's review of how Lewandowski handled certain government contracts. One DHS official said he signed some contracts despite questionable legal authority as a special government employee. Two DHS officials said certain grants and contracts, including some involving FEMA, were put on hold at his direction.

People familiar with the reviews told the Journal that Lewandowski or close associates signed off on nearly all departmental spending decisions above $100,000. Noem had ordered that every contract and grant over that threshold cross her desk. Some DHS officials complained privately that the policy created backlogs for funding they considered essential, including disaster relief.

The GEO Group allegation

NBC News reported earlier this year, citing sources, that Lewandowski met with representatives of GEO Group, a private prison and detention company, and asked to be paid in exchange for protecting and expanding its interests. One source described the requested payment as a "success fee." According to that reporting, the company declined.

A Lewandowski representative denied that account in March and said he never demanded payment or compensation from GEO Group. Whether that episode is part of the DOJ probe has not been confirmed by any named official.

Lewandowski's response

Lewandowski's attorney, Adam Trigg, issued a statement: "Mr. Lewandowski has not been contacted by the Justice Department regarding any investigation, and he denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity."

Lewandowski was an unpaid special government employee, a status designed to cover a limited number of days. He still ended up as Noem's gatekeeper. Multiple people told CNN that straddling a senior role while holding that designation was uncharted territory.

Lewandowski also posted on X that the Journal's report was "another example of the kind of anonymous-source, politically driven reporting that Americans have seen time and again." Every account of the investigation so far rests on anonymous sources. The Justice Department declined to comment.

Early stage, unclear leadership

The investigation is in its early stages. One person told Reuters that DOJ has not yet issued subpoenas or other legal demands. It is still unclear which U.S. attorney's office is leading the case.

A second source told CNN that in recent months, D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told officials in her office she wanted investigators to look into claims of kickbacks tied to DHS contracting. Prosecutors had been waiting on the inspector general's results, that source said.

Trump's reaction

Asked about the probe Thursday outside the White House, Trump said he did not know the specifics and had not been briefed by Attorney General Todd Blanche. He did not defend Lewandowski, his first campaign manager in 2016.

"All I know is I want my people to be honest," Trump said. "And if they're not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted." He added: "I'll have my DOJ go and do whatever they have to do." He also said, "I will never do anything to stop the prosecution of someone who's dishonest."

Background: the Noem ouster

Trump fired Noem in March after months of controversy. That included the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers in Minneapolis and congressional questions over a $220 million advertising campaign featuring Noem prominently. The contract was awarded without a standard bidding process, according to Reuters. Noem had told lawmakers at a hearing that Trump knew of her decision to launch the campaign. Both she and Lewandowski left in March, and both have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

The $220 million ad buy is taxpayer money. Whatever the legal outcome for Lewandowski, the underlying questions about no-bid contracting and who held the pen on DHS spending are about public funds, not partisan scorekeeping.

A different kind of target

The case stands out because of who is in the crosshairs. Under Trump, the Justice Department has investigated prominent critics, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Probes of people close to the president have been rare, and the department has moved to dismiss several cases involving Trump allies, including January 6 defendants, according to Reuters.

The immediate open questions are concrete. Will prosecutors issue subpoenas? Which office takes the lead? And does the inspector general's referral, which Lewandowski's lawyer says has not led to any contact with his client, produce charges or fizzle out? Neither the Justice Department nor DHS has said.