Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. It seems like the Justice Department is investigating some allegations of contract misconduct at the Department of Homeland Security, and it involves some big names like Corey Lewandowski and Kristi Noem. Apparently, Lewandowski was working as the de facto chief of staff to Noem, who was the Secretary of Homeland Security at the time. Now, I’m not one to jump to conclusions, but it sounds like there might have been some shady dealings going on.
The probe was sparked by a criminal referral from the DHS Inspector General’s office, which has been looking into contracting practices at the agency during Noem’s and Lewandowski’s tenure. I guess that’s what happens when you have someone like Lewandowski, a Republican operative, playing a big role in the department. He was supposed to be a special government employee, but it sounds like he was doing a lot more than that.
The Justice Department isn’t commenting on the matter, but Lewandowski’s attorney, Adam Trigg, says his client hasn’t been contacted by the Justice Department and denies any wrongdoing. Bless their hearts, I’m sure they’re just as innocent as a lamb. The Department of Homeland Security isn’t returning requests for comment, which is always a good sign that something fishy is going on.
It’s interesting to note that this referral is an unusual move for the Trump administration, which hasn’t exactly been known for investigating its own members. Critics have been accusing the Justice Department of targeting the president’s political enemies, while DHS has been protecting its own employees from scrutiny. You can’t make this stuff up, folks.
In recent months, Washington, DC, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro told officials in her office to look into claims of kickbacks connected to contracting at DHS. It’s still not clear which US Attorney’s office is leading the investigation, but I’m sure it’ll all come out in the wash eventually. Prosecutors have been waiting for the results of the DHS inspector general probe, which should be a real page-turner.
Lewandowski became a fixture at DHS early in President Donald Trump’s second term, serving as Noem’s chief adviser. But on paper, he was originally supposed to be a special government employee, which is a unique role meant to span a limited number of days. Lewandowski’s straddling of senior government functions at DHS and service as a special government employee was uncharted territory, according to multiple people who spoke with CNN. I guess that’s what happens when you’re trying to navigate the complex world of government bureaucracy.
Homeland Security officials ultimately viewed Lewandowski as Noem’s gatekeeper, which is a pretty powerful position. He left the department when Trump fired Noem, which is a whole other story. Noem’s handling of contracts within DHS was one of the main catalysts for her ouster, notably when she claimed that Trump knew of a $220 million ad campaign prominently featuring the secretary. During her tenure, Noem also tightened her grip on her department’s purse strings, ordering that every contract and grant over $100,000 had to cross her desk for approval.
The inspector general, Joseph Cuffari, complained to Congress in early March that Homeland Security leadership had been obstructing some of his work. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now we’ve got a full-blown investigation on our hands. In conclusion, it seems like there’s been some shady dealings going on at the Department of Homeland Security, and it’s going to take a while to untangle the whole mess. But hey, at least it’s giving me something interesting to read while I drink my coffee.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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