Former Special Government Employee Corey Lewandowski may be at risk of a criminal referral as a federal watchdog examines Department of Homeland Security contracting during the tenure of ousted former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, according to a report.
The DHS Office of Inspector General has uncovered evidence suggesting Lewandowski may have played a role in the improper awarding of DHS contracts and is considering whether to refer the matter to the Justice Department for possible prosecution, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The investigation remains active, and any referral does not appear to be immediate, the outlet said.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, whom President Trump selected in March to succeed Noem, has cooperated with investigators and has updated White House officials on some of the inquiry’s findings, according to the Journal.
Through a representative, Lewandowski denied issuing contracts during his time at DHS and told the outlet that investigators had not contacted him.
The White House directed The Post to DHS for comment. The department did not respond to a request for comment.
The Post previously reported that DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari was reviewing hundreds of millions of dollars in department contracts, including no-bid agreements tied to a $220 million advertising campaign featuring Noem, that were approved under the former secretary and Lewandowski, who served as her top adviser.
Cuffari has also been auditing a $1 billion warehouse purchase that DHS had planned to use for converting facilities into migrant detention centers, The Journal reported. That plan was later abandoned, and the warehouses, which were bought above market value, have since been sold.
Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign manager, held an extensive role at DHS that included controlling staffing and contracting decisions.
He personally signed specific contracts, according to the Journal, despite not technically being a full-time government official.
Noem has allegedly carried on a years-long affair with Lewandowski, which she refused to deny during a Capitol Hill hearing a day before she was axed.
