House Democrats put Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the spot in a congressional hearing on Wednesday when they asked repeatedly if she was having an extramarital relationship with special government employee Corey Lewandowski.
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) asked Noem in a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Wednesday afternoon if the secretary was having an affair with Lewandowski, the 2016 campaign manager for President Donald Trump, who is now a senior adviser to Noem.
“This person has no experience running anything close to Department of Homeland Security or even advising someone in your position. He is unqualified, which again, has left my constituents and I wondering why he is your top official,” said Kamlager-Dove. “Secretary Noem, at any time during your tenure as director of Department of Homeland Security, have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?”
Noem did not deny or address the question except to call it “tabloid garbage.”
“Mr. Chairman, I am shocked that we’re going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee today,” Noem said. “One thing that I would tell you is that he is a special government employee who works for the White House. There are thousands of them in the federal government.”
Noem’s comments were garbled as she and Kamlager-Dove spoke over each other.
“It is also a real question, and you should be able to answer the question clearly and without any hesitation if someone is asking if you or any federal official is sleeping with their subordinate,” Kamlager-Dove said.
Noem called it “offensive” and added that “that kind of garbage has been refuted for years.”
Another Democratic lawmaker later used his time for questioning to give Noem a chance to clarify her answer to Kamlager-Dove.
“I want to give you an opportunity to answer on the record to Ms. Kamlager-Dove’s question. I know you said it’s garbage, and it may be, but I really think you need to say the word ‘no’ into the record so that you can clear that up,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said.
“I think the ridiculousness of this, and the tabloids that you are quoting and referencing are insane, and this has been something that I’ve refuted for years, and I continue to do that,” Noem said.
Moskowitz asked again for a clear denial.
“This is, this is what you do — the socialist liberal Left — is you go off and you attack conservative women, you say we’re either stupid or we’re sluts. And that’s what you do,” Noem said. “I will tell you, sir, I am neither of those.”
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The rumored affair was first publicly reported by the Daily Mail in 2023, when Noem was South Dakota’s governor.
Noem’s alleged relationship with Lewandowski was reported on last month by the Wall Street Journal.