In a heated session on Wednesday, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem faced intense questioning from House lawmakers regarding rumors of a romantic relationship with her adviser, Corey Lewandowski.
The Daily Mail recently alleged that Noem and Lewandowski are involved in an affair. Both parties, who are married, have publicly denied these claims.
When pressed on the matter by Democratic Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Noem chose not to confirm or deny under oath whether she has had an intimate relationship with Lewandowski.
Kamlager-Dove directly inquired, “During your time as head of the Department of Homeland Security, did you have sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?”
Noem dismissed the inquiry by labeling it “tabloid garbage” and described the allegations as “offensive.”
The Democratic representative insisted, “It should be straightforward to answer if you or any federal official is involved romantically with a subordinate.”
Noem fired backed, ‘It is garbage!’
Minutes later another Democratic Representative Jared
She took questions from Democrats and Republicans during a House hearing on her leadership of Homeland Security, which has become engulfed in a whirlwind of scandals.
Noem¿s husband, Byron, could be seen sitting behind his wife with a deadpan expression as she faced continued grilling over her relationship with Lewandowski
Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski have long been rumored to be lovers despite both being married
Noem has also empowered Lewandowski to approve six-figure government contracts
Earlier in the hearing, Noem was joined by her husband, Bryon, the father of their three children, who sat directly behind her throughout, stone-faced, as the questions about Lewandowski kept coming.
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin cited an incident last spring in which Lewandowski fired and then rehired a pilot because Noem had forgotten a blanket on a government jet, though the Daily Mail later reported the dismissal was over a bag.
‘When your special blanket, your blankie, was left on one of the government jets and not transported over to the new one, your special government employee, Corey Lewandowski, chivalrously stepped forward to fire the pilot – mid-air’, said Raskin.
Raskin added: ‘You’re flying high now, maybe even a little bit too close to the sun, but with all these free planes and houses and pilots, you’ve traveled a long distance from your actual job and the things you should be doing as head of Homeland Security.’
She has appeared frequently with Lewandowski at public events and meetings with the President at the White House.
Noem’s decision to appear alongside Bryon was a calculated play on ‘optics’ as rumors continue to swirl about their marriage, a DHS source told the Daily Mail.
‘The fact she’s bringing her family to these events instead of the usual Lewandowski tells me she’s aware of how she looks in the media and that she’s trying to get the news cycles about her and Lewandowski behind her,’ the official said.
Noem’s use of a luxury private jet has alarmed senior Republicans. ICE, which falls under her jurisdiction, has leased a $70 million Boeing for months.
Noem stands for the US Pledge of Allegiance in front of Bryon at the start of a House Judiciary Committee hearing
The mother-of-three, 54, has also empowered Lewandowski to approve six-figure government contracts.
His official role at DHS is as a Special Government Employee (SGE), a temporary but restricted title that allows outside experts to work in the federal bureaucracy without leaving the private sector.
Homeland Security sources, however, have raised concerns that Lewandowski is operating beyond the limits of his SGE role and is effectively running the department, issuing orders to top officials on Noem’s behalf.
The heat came from her own side, too, as Republican lawmakers piled on at the House hearing.
GOP Senator Thom Tillis branded her leadership a ‘disaster,’ demanded her resignation and raised allegations of corruption inside DHS.
