Lewandowski Accused of Seeking Fees for DHS Contracts

Corey Lewandowski, a longtime adviser to President Donald Trump and former chief strategist at the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kristi Noem, allegedly sought payments from private contractors in exchange for influencing federal contract awards, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

The allegations, detailed in reports from current and former DHS officials, industry executives and White House aides, center on Lewandowski's interactions with companies poised to benefit from the administration's mass deportation efforts. As an unpaid special government employee starting in January 2025, Lewandowski acted as Noem's de facto chief of staff and played a significant role in reviewing contracts, sources said. Prior to his official role, during the presidential transition following Trump's November 2024 election victory, Lewandowski met with George Zoley, founder of GEO Group, a major private prison operator with over $1 billion in annual federal contracts for migrant detention facilities.

According to two industry sources and a senior DHS official, Lewandowski requested compensation from Zoley to protect and expand GEO's DHS business. Zoley...