Corey Lewandowski pursued side deals with Qatar while at DHS

Former Trump aide Corey Lewandowski faces intense scrutiny over allegations that he used his role as a special government employee at the Department of Homeland Security to solicit private side deals from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Lewandowski, who denies the claims, also reportedly manipulated major agency contracts involving Palantir and GEO Group. Wielding de facto authority alongside his close ally, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Lewandowski is now the subject of a federal inspector general probe that could lead to a criminal referral.

Qatar UAE side-deal proposals

• ▪Corey Lewandowski approached representatives of the United Arab Emirates with a proposal to hire him on the side to assist with Department of Homeland Security issues
• ▪Qatar and the United Arab Emirates both rejected Corey Lewandowski's proposals to hire him for side services related to the Department of Homeland Security
• ▪Corey Lewandowski approached senior Qatari officials with a proposal to hire him on the side to help with Department of Homeland Security issues, such as obtaining visas, while he worked at the agency
• ▪Corey Lewandowski denied allegations that he sought illegal side deals at the Department of Homeland Security, calling the reports fiction and innuendo fake news

DHS contracting influence allegations

• ▪Palantir declined Corey Lewandowski's request for a meeting, and its pending Department of Homeland Security contract was subsequently reduced from $2.7 billion to $1 billion
• ▪Corey Lewandowski reportedly worked to curb GEO Group's federal contracts after the private prison contractor declined to hire him as a lobbyist following Donald Trump's first presidential term
• ▪Corey Lewandowski requested a one-on-one meeting with Palantir CEO Alex Karp while Palantir was awaiting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's sign-off on a pending $2.7 billion contract

Inspector general criminal probe

• ▪The Department of Homeland Security inspector general is probing Corey Lewandowski's involvement in contracting decisions and the network of allies he and Kristi Noem installed at the agency
• ▪Investigators are considering a criminal referral related to the Corey Lewandowski inquiry, and House Democrats are preparing to open their own probe if they win control of the House
• ▪Investigators searched the office of FEMA contractor Kara Voohries, an ally of Corey Lewandowski who was reportedly paid an unusually steep salary, as part of the inspector general probe

Lewandowski-Noem relationship rumors

• ▪Corey Lewandowski was reportedly in a close personal relationship with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem while he held de facto decision-making authority at the agency
• ▪Corey Lewandowski and former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have denied rumors that they have been in a romantic relationship

Special government employee status

• ▪Corey Lewandowski held the status of a special government employee at the Department of Homeland Security, which allowed him to carry out private business
• ▪Corey Lewandowski's role as a special government employee gave him de facto decision-making authority over billions of dollars in appropriations, border enforcement, and tariff collections

Noem DHS tenure controversies

• ▪Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was ousted by Donald Trump in March and subsequently appointed as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas
• ▪Kristi Noem faced criticism for delaying the contract approval process by requiring her personal approval for all Department of Homeland Security contracts exceeding $100,000

Debatable claims

• ▪The U.S. should ban 'special government employee' status for powerful advisers
• ▪Unconfirmed political advisers should not influence federal contracting decisions
• ▪Congress should investigate Corey Lewandowski's conduct at DHS

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