Overview
- The DHS Office of Inspector General, led by Joseph Cuffari, reported evidence on Friday that suggests Corey Lewandowski may have improperly influenced or personally approved department contracts while serving as a special government employee.
- Investigators are actively considering a referral to the Justice Department for criminal review, though officials say a referral is not expected immediately and the probe remains ongoing.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and White House officials have been briefed on the probe, and Mullin’s team has cooperated with investigators according to reporting.
- Lewandowski’s role at DHS is under scrutiny because he served as an unpaid senior adviser with unusually broad influence over personnel and contracting and is reported to have signed some contracts despite not being a full-time federal employee.
- The inquiry ties into larger audits of Noem-era spending, including reviews of a $220 million ad campaign and a roughly $1 billion warehouse purchase, and carries political weight because of Lewandowski’s ties to Kristi Noem and President Trump.