Overview
- Ranking Democrats Bennie Thompson, Robert Garcia, and Rick Larsen ordered DHS to preserve all Corey Lewandowski–related records and asked the department’s inspector general to review his activities.
- NBC reporting says multiple contractors, including GEO Group, complained Lewandowski sought payments or “success fees” tied to DHS awards, and senior White House officials were told of a dozen such complaints.
- A senior DHS official told NBC Lewandowski urged against new GEO contracts after tense meetings with founder George Zoley, though the company later won a $121 million award; Lewandowski’s spokesperson called the claims false.
- Separate reporting cites an internal DHS memo showing large commissions from a $220 million ad buy flowing to firms linked to Republican operatives—Safe America Media (about $15.2 million at 12%) and People Who Think (about $7.7 million at 10%).
- House Republicans say they are examining Noem-era spending, but Democratic members contend they have been excluded from the inquiry and are demanding full participation.