The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Corey Lewandowski, former adviser to fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, over allegations that he profited from his role at the department.
The DOJ opened the criminal investigation into Lewandowski after a referral from the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, according to multiple reports. Lewandowski is a longtime political ally of President Donald Trump, but he left the administration after Noem was fired in March.
Lewandowski denies wrongdoing, and his lawyer, Adam Trigg, rebuffed the DOJ inquiry in a statement to the New York Times.
“Mr. Lewandowski has not been contacted by the Justice Department regarding any investigation, and he denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity,” Trigg said.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the DOJ and Trigg for comment. The reports on the investigation did not include any specific details about the improper profiting allegations.
Lewandowski, a special government employee at DHS, served as Noem’s top adviser during her embattled tenure as department secretary. Lewandowski had a significant influence at the agency and played a role in directing the agency’s immigration operations.
In her final days as DHS secretary, Noem was grilled on Capitol Hill about DHS contracts worth $220 million for advertisements of her bolstering the agency’s self-deportation mechanism for illegal immigrants. Noem claimed during a Senate hearing that she had a “conversation” with Trump about the ads and was soon after fired by the president amid reports he was frustrated with her answers.
Noem also faced controversy in her final stretch in the job over her alleged affair with Lewandowski, though both deny any extramarital relationship.
Lewandowski and Noem also oversaw DHS when two U.S. citizens were killed by federal law enforcement during DHS immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.