Former Top DHS Official Accused Of Trying To Sell Out To Middle Eastern Governments On The Job

Corey Lewandowski, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump who wielded extraordinary influence over the Department of Homeland Security, allegedly offered to help the governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates with DHS issues in exchange for private work.

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According to the Wall Street Journal, Lewandowski approached senior Qatari officials with a proposal that the outlet characterized as “Hire me on the side.” He allegedly offered to help Qatar with matters falling under DHS’s jurisdiction, including visa issues. Lewandowski reportedly made a similar pitch to representatives of the United Arab Emirates.

The proposals were ultimately rejected. Some of the foreign officials were reportedly confused by the offers, questioning why they would need Lewandowski’s assistance when they already had established relationships with senior Trump administration officials.

At the time, Lewandowski was a special government employee serving as a close adviser to then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. He effectively operated as Noem’s right-hand man, with a role that gave him influence over enormous sums of taxpayer money, immigration enforcement, and other major department operations. Lewandowski’s unusual authority was widely attributed to his close relationship with Noem. The two have been the subject of speculation that their relationship was romantic, which they have denied.

The allegations come as the DHS inspector general investigates contracting decisions made during Noem’s tenure and Lewandowski’s role in them. The Journal previously reported that investigators had found evidence that Lewandowski improperly influenced government contracts, and the investigation could potentially result in a criminal referral to the Justice Department. 

A representative for Lewandowski told the Journal that he never sought contracts with foreign governments and denied demanding or soliciting payment or compensation from government contractors. The representative also said Lewandowski played no role in reviewing or approving DHS contracts. “Lewandowski denies any wrongdoing,” the representative said.

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The reported foreign-government outreach is only the latest allegation surrounding Lewandowski’s conduct at DHS. While advising Noem, Lewandowski allegedly sought a private meeting with Palantir CEO Alex Karp while DHS was considering a $2.7 billion contract with the company. The meeting never occurred, and the eventual agreement was reduced to $1 billion.

Lewandowski has also faced allegations involving GEO Group, one of the country’s largest private prison companies and a major DHS contractor. Congressional investigators have examined claims that Lewandowski sought personal compensation from contractors in exchange for favorable treatment.

In March, Democratic senators DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin for records concerning Lewandowski’s alleged influence over contracts and potential personal financial benefits. In their letter, they said that recent reporting raised questions about whether Lewandowski had “unlawfully steered” contracts to benefit himself and political allies.

That question became particularly important because the department was responsible for tens of billions of dollars in newly appropriated spending to expand immigration enforcement under the One Big Beautiful Bill. Noem had centralized much of DHS’s spending authority, namely putting virtually all department expenditures above $100,000 under the secretary’s purview. The arrangement gave Lewandowski, as Noem’s closest adviser, an overly influential position over the companies and organizations seeking federal money.

Lewandowski and Noem both left DHS in March after Trump removed Noem as secretary and replaced her with Mullin. The allegations concerning Lewandowski, however, have continued to follow him after his departure. He now works as a consultant and has secured at least one foreign client: Bahrain, which signed a contract with him after he left government, according to a Bahraini official.

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The DHS inspector general’s investigation remains ongoing.