Ranking Members Robert Garcia, Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson Call for Inspector General Investigation into Corey Lewandowski’s Influence Over DHS Contracts
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Rep. Rick Larsen, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, demanded an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General into Corey Lewandowski’s employment after months of wielding incredible influence as a Special Government Employee (SGE). Additionally, the Ranking Members wrote directly to DHS and demanded all communications and internal records regarding Corey Lewandowski’s involvement in DHS personnel and contracting decisions.
In the letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Secretary, the Ranking Members wrote, “We write with grave concern regarding reports alleging serious misconduct at the highest levels of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At the center of these allegations sits Mr. Corey Lewandowski, who continues to use his access to DHS leadership to wield outsized and undue influence over the Department. We demand DHS preserve all communications and internal records concerning Mr. Lewandowski’s role within the Department, as well as the Department’s practices, policies, and procedures related to contracting, personnel, and the handling of classified materials. Any deviation from standard record-keeping will be treated as an attempt to hide or destroy evidence. In addition, we call on DHS to rescind its policy requiring all contracts and grants above $100,000 to be approved personally by the Secretary, a policy that resulted in widespread delays in funding and mismanagement.”
In the letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, the Ranking Members wrote, “Mr. Lewandowski’s alleged unauthorized involvement in DHS contracting decisions is a great cause for concern. Due to Mr. Lewandowski’s status as an SGE and DHS’s refusal to release his financial disclosure information, he has had ample opportunity to continue pursuing his business interests in the private sector while simultaneously playing a key role in awarding DHS contracts. Mr. Lewandowski’s outsized role and questionable actions have not gone unnoticed even within the Trump Administration, including when the White House Counsel’s Office opened an inquiry into Lewandowski’s potential abuse of the special government role.”
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