A criminal referral from the department's own watchdog
The US Department of Justice is examining allegations that Corey Lewandowski, one of President Donald Trump's longest-serving political allies, used his senior position at the Department of Homeland Security for personal financial gain, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal, Reuters and CNN. The development was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, covered by the BBC, and subsequently corroborated by Reuters and CNN, each citing people familiar with the matter. The inquiry began with a criminal referral to the Justice Department from the inspector general's office at the Department of Homeland Security, according to four people who spoke to Reuters. The watchdog had been examining Lewandowski's involvement in the handling of certain government contracts, one of the people — described as a DHS official — told the news agency. CNN reported that the referral concerned Lewandowski specifically, and that the inspector general's office had been looking at contracting practices at the agency during the tenure of Lewandowski and former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The Justice Department declined to comment, and the DHS inspector general's office said it does not discuss specific investigative matters or confirm or deny the existence of an investigation. Lewandowski served as a top adviser to Noem, acting in what CNN described as a de facto chief of staff role. The pair left the department in March, following months of increasingly public scrutiny over internal infighting and controversial spending decisions. Among the episodes that drew attention were the department's handling of immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, a reported $220 million border security advertising campaign, and questions around the purchase and procurement of several aircraft.
The allegations at the centre of the probe
People familiar with the matter told the Journal that while at the department, Lewandowski appeared to try to use his considerable influence for personal financial gain, including by asking several countries in the Middle East to hire him privately to help with visa issues and other matters. The paper had previously reported on those approaches.
The same reporting said that Lewandowski, or close associates, signed off on nearly all department spending decisions above $100,000. That authority gave him visibility into the full range of contractors working with DHS — and the ability to hold up contracts. People familiar with the inquiry said it is focused at least in part on possible contracting fraud. According to Reuters, prosecutors have not yet issued subpoenas or other legal demands in the criminal investigation. One person familiar with the matter told CNN that prosecutors had been waiting for the results of the inspector general's probe. It also remains unclear which US Attorney's office is leading the investigation. CNN separately reported that Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney in Washington, DC, had told officials in her office in recent months that she wanted investigators to look into claims of kickbacks connected to contracting at DHS.
Ceremony at the Department of Homeland Security's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Lewandowski's response and denials
Lewandowski's lawyer, Adam Trigg, pushed back on the reports. He told CNN that his client had not been contacted by the Justice Department about any investigation and denied any wrongdoing, saying Lewandowski had been "proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity." The Journal, which first broke the story, quoted Trigg as saying his client denies all allegations of wrongdoing. Lewandowski has previously denied seeking foreign contracts while in government or playing a role in approving DHS contracts, according to the Journal. The paper also reported that Lewandowski expects a pardon from Trump in the event he is charged — a claim Trump's subsequent remarks appeared to undercut.
What Trump said
Asked by reporters about the investigation on Thursday, Trump said he did not know the specifics, but made clear he did not want the matter dropped on his behalf. "I want my people to be honest," he said. "And if they're not honest, I'll have my DOJ go and do whatever they have to do." He added that he would never stand in the way of a prosecution if an aide proved dishonest, describing such conduct as an offence against the country and against him personally. The White House pointed to those comments when asked about the case, rather than issuing a separate statement. The president's tone matters because the investigation is politically unusual. The Justice Department under Trump has more often pursued prominent critics of the president — including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James — while moving to dismiss several existing cases involving Trump allies, including supporters charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. Investigations of people close to the president have been rare, which is why a referral targeting a figure as central to Trump's orbit as Lewandowski stands out. The case also sits within the wider political pressures facing the administration, as analysed in our coverage of Republicans walking a tightrope ahead of the midterms.
Why this case stands out
Lewandowski is not a peripheral figure in Trump's world. He ran Trump's 2016 campaign, remained a confidant through both terms, and was installed at DHS as Noem's enforcer — a role that gave him outsized influence over one of the federal government's largest departments. His reported involvement in approving spending above $100,000 meant few major DHS contracts moved without passing through him or his associates. The DHS inspector general's decision to make a criminal referral is itself significant. Watchdog referrals of senior political appointees are uncommon, and the months the office spent weighing the move, as previously reported by the Journal, suggest investigators believed the evidence merited escalation. Whether the Justice Department now takes the matter further — with subpoenas, a grand jury, or charges — remains an open question. The episode also adds to the catalogue of controversies that ended Noem's tenure. Her departure in March followed sustained criticism of the department's spending and enforcement operations. Our earlier reporting on Trump's defence of his "take out" remark about US cities and the indictment of Venezuela's Maduro on conspiracy and torture charges reflects the same turbulent stretch of the administration's security and law-enforcement agenda.
What happens next
For now, the investigation appears to be in its early stages. No subpoenas have been issued, no charges filed, and it is not yet clear which prosecutors will lead the case. The DHS inspector general's findings have been shared with the department, and investigators will decide whether the evidence supports moving from examination to action. Lewandowski's camp will continue to argue that he acted properly and served voluntarily. The administration, meanwhile, will have to navigate the optics of its own Justice Department investigating one of the president's closest allies — even as Trump publicly insists that dishonesty, whoever commits it, should be prosecuted. Readers can follow developments in US politics on our Politics page, and learn more about this publication on our About page. The Justice Department's own site, justice.gov, and the department under scrutiny, dhs.gov, publish official statements and watchdog reports as this story develops.
