THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?
SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do).
- The Justice Department is examining allegations involving Corey Lewandowski’s work at Homeland Security.
- The inquiry followed a referral from the DHS inspector general, according to reporting by CBS News and The Washington Post.
- Lewandowski denies wrongdoing and has not been charged.
LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time).
A familiar name from Trump World has turned up in a decidedly less comfortable setting: a Justice Department investigation.
Federal investigators are reviewing allegations that Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager and a senior adviser to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, may have used his influential DHS position for financial gain. CBS News reported Thursday that the probe followed a referral from the department’s inspector general.
Lewandowski did not run the department on paper. Reporting describes him as a de facto chief of staff whose influence extended well beyond a conventional temporary advisory position. That matters because investigators are examining possible improprieties involving government contracts and access to decisions about federal spending.
The Washington Post reports that the watchdog had been looking into alleged contracting misconduct for months before referring findings to prosecutors. The allegations, not any criminal determination, are what investigators are evaluating.
Lewandowski is no minor Washington acquaintance. He managed Trump’s first presidential campaign and remained a prominent political ally for years. He and Noem left the department in March, but the questions surrounding his tenure clearly did not leave with them.
His attorney denies misconduct and says investigators have not contacted him. No indictment has been announced. Trump, asked about the inquiry, said he expects honesty from his associates and supported prosecution if wrongdoing is established.
For an administration loudly pursuing fraud elsewhere, the optics are impossible to miss: a longtime ally now faces scrutiny by the same Justice Department. Whether the evidence supports criminal charges remains to be seen. For now, the investigation is real; guilt is not an established fact.
DBS WIRE SOURCES (I’ve got all day).
- CBS News — DOJ reviewing Lewandowski allegations
- Washington Post — Contracting misconduct allegations
- Wall Street Journal — Justice Department review
