WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — The Justice Department is investigating whether former Department of Homeland Security adviser Corey Lewandowski used his government role for personal financial gain. The inquiry followed a criminal referral from the DHS inspector general and focuses on contracting activity during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to people familiar with the matter.
A DHS official said Lewandowski signed some contracts despite questions about his authority as a special government employee. Two officials also said he directed the department to pause certain grants and contracts, including some involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Investigators are also examining Lewandowski’s influence over DHS spending. People familiar with the inquiry said he or close associates approved nearly all department spending decisions above $100,000, giving him access to information about vendors and contracts. The inquiry also includes allegations that he sought private work from Middle Eastern countries while at DHS. Those allegations do not establish that he received money from government contracts or broke the law.
The investigation remains in its early stages. Prosecutors had not issued subpoenas or other formal legal demands at the time of the initial report. The Justice Department declined to comment, while the DHS inspector general’s office said it does not confirm or deny specific investigations.
Lewandowski’s attorney, Adam Trigg, said the Justice Department had not contacted his client and that Lewandowski denied wrongdoing. Lewandowski has also denied seeking foreign contracts while serving in government.
Trump told reporters Thursday that he had heard about the investigation but did not know its details. “I want my people to be honest, and if they’re not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted,” he said.
Lewandowski served as a senior adviser to then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Though appointed as a special government employee, he became a close aide and gained influence over department operations. Noem left DHS in March after scrutiny of the department’s spending, including a $220 million advertising campaign awarded without the standard competitive process. Lewandowski left the department shortly afterward.
The inspector general’s referral puts the allegations before federal prosecutors, who will determine whether the evidence supports further action. Lewandowski has not been charged, and investigators have not publicly established that he profited from his government role.
