House Dems Open Probe into Kristi Noem’s DHS ‘Shadow-in-Chief’ Corey Lewandowski

LEFT: Kristi Noem (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File) RIGHT: Corey Lewandowski (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)

Senior House Democrats demanded the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) preserve internal communications tied to Corey Lewandowski as they open a new congressional probe into the Trump ally’s role inside the agency.

The ranking Democrats on three House committees sent a memo Wednesday instructing DHS to “preserve all communications and internal records” relating to Lewandowski, who has served as a special advisor to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

In the memo, first reported by journalist Scott MacFarlane who recently left CBS, lawmakers warned the department:

We demand DHS preserve all communications and internal records concerning Mr. Lewandowski’s role within the Department, as well as the Department’s practices, policies, and procedures related to contracting, personnel, and the handling of classified materials. Any deviation from standard record-keeping will be treated as an attempt to hide or destroy evidence.

The inquiry was launched by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), the leading Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The letter alleges Lewandowski may have wielded influence inside the agency “far beyond what a special government employee is authorized to do.” Lawmakers described him as functioning effectively as a “shadow chief-of-staff” to Noem during a period of turbulence at DHS.

Democrats are also seeking documents tied to Lewandowski’s “financial disclosures and recusals due to conflicts of interest.”

In a separate request, according to MacFarlane, the lawmakers asked DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to review Lewandowski’s activities, raising concerns about whether he could have influenced taxpayer-funded contracts while maintaining outside business interests.

“Due to Mr. Lewandowski’s status as a special government employee, and the Department of Homeland Security’s refusal to release his financial disclosure information, he has had ample opportunity to continue pursuing his business interests in the private sector while simultaneously playing a key role in awarding DHS contracts,” their memo said.

Lewandowski’s role has surfaced in Senate hearings this month, where Noem told Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) that he did not approve contracts at the agency.

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