White House Heard Lewandowski Kickback Claims, Did Nothing |
While testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, former Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem denied that her top aide, Corey Lewandowski, was involved in approving DHS contracts. When ProPublica found internal DHS records contradicting that, a DHS spokesperson reiterated Noem’s denial, adding that as a temporary “special government employee,” Lewandowski “does not receive a salary or any federal-government benefits. He volunteers his time to serve the American people.”
Lewandowski’s alleged involvement with DHS contracts has been the second-most controversial aspect of his work as the department’s de facto chief of staff (the first is his widely rumored extramarital affair with Noem). Few people bought Homeland Security’s claims that Lewandowski was doing pro bono government work simply because he’s a selfless patriot.
So it was not a huge surprise when NBC News reported on Thursday that several companies have accused Lewandowski of seeking payments in exchange for help in securing DHS contracts.
It seems these allegations were also unsurprising to President Trump and other White House officials, as they’ve known about them for months.
Lewandowski reportedly requested payment from GEO Group, a private-prison company looking to expand its contracts with DHS as the Trump administration implemented its mass-deportation agenda. According to NBC News, Lewandowski directly asked GEO Group’s founder, George Zoley, for money:
During the transition, Lewandowski told Zoley that he wanted to be paid in exchange for protecting and growing GEO Group’s DHS contracts, according to a senior DHS official and three people familiar with their discussion. Zoley, concerned about the propriety of the ask, told Lewandowski he would have no part of it, the........