The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski, the longtime Trump confidant who served as an unpaid special adviser inside the Department of Homeland Security, over allegations that he profited from his government role. The inquiry, first reported by the Wall Street Journal and confirmed by Reuters through three officials and a person familiar with the matter, marks a rare criminal probe of a figure in the president’s inner circle.
At the centre of the investigation are contracts awarded during Lewandowski’s time at DHS, where he acted as a de facto chief of staff to then Secretary Kristi Noem. ProPublica previously reported that Lewandowski approved a multimillion-dollar equipment contract even after Noem told Congress he had no role in contracting decisions. Contractors also told investigators they were asked to pay Lewandowski, raising questions about whether his unpaid status shielded a lucrative side arrangement.
A referral from inside
The investigation began with a referral from the DHS inspector general, the department’s internal watchdog, whose job is to flag suspected criminal conduct by officials. No subpoenas have been issued yet, according to people briefed on the matter, suggesting the inquiry is in its early stages. Lewandowski’s lawyer, Adam Trigg, said his client denies any wrongdoing.
The politics of the probe are delicate. Lewandowski has been one of Trump’s most loyal operatives for a decade, and criminal scrutiny of a president’s ally by his own Justice Department is uncommon. Trump himself, asked about the matter, said that “if they’re not honest, they have to be prosecuted,” a comment that neither defended Lewandowski nor endorsed the investigation. The remark leaves the White House room to distance itself if the inquiry deepens.
What investigators will look for
Prosecutors will likely examine whether Lewandowski used his access to steer contracts or extract payments, and whether his unpaid “special government employee” designation was used to sidestep ethics rules that apply to paid officials. The midterm campaign trail is already crowded with legal storylines, and this one adds a new one. As Public Citizen’s summary of the reporting notes, the case will test how the administration handles corruption allegations inside its own house. For context on how Washington’s wider power struggles are playing out this week, our earlier coverage has the details.
