Blumenthal & Welch Demand Answers from Secretary Mullin over Lewandowoski's Role in DHS Contracts

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today wrote to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, demanding information about the role of Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee and DHS advisor under former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, in DHS contracting decisions. In their letter, Blumenthal and Welch pressed Mullin for information about Lewandowski potentially steering the awards of contracts to benefit himself and his political allies.

"Public reports indicate that Mr. Lewandowski has been deeply involved in the agency's procurement and that 'DHS officials have long suspected that Lewandowski and his closest aides were steering contracts to their allies,'" the Senators wrote.

The Senators continued, "Of foremost concern is that $220 million in DHS contracts were hastily awarded, without the customary cost-saving open bidding process, to produce an advertising campaign featuring Kristi Noem. The two primary DHS contracting firms have since received 'at least $23 million' in commissions in connection with the contracted DHS ad campaign. A portion of the $220 million in taxpayer dollars benefitted The Strategy Group, 'a Republican consulting firm with long-standing personal and business ties to Noem and her senior aides at DHS.'"

The Senators also raised concerns about Lewandowski's potential self-dealing, pointing to his solicitation of payments from contractors and prospective contractors, "Separate reporting reveals that Mr. Lewandowski solicited payments from Dr. George Zoley, CEO of GEO Group, a private prison contractor, 'in exchange for protecting and growing GEO Group's DHS contracts.' When Dr. Zoley refused, a senior DHS official reportedly alleges that 'within weeks of Lewandowski's second meeting with Zoley, Lewandowski told him not to award more contracts to GEO Group.'"

"The possibility that Mr. Lewandowski corruptly influenced or threatened to influence DHS contracts in exchange for direct or indirect kickbacks is deeply troubling. Federal law prohibits the solicitation and payment of kickbacks and bribes that undermine open and fair competition in federal contracting," the Senators concluded.

The full text of Blumenthal and Welch's letter is available here and copied below.

Dear Secretary Mullin:

We write to request your full and prompt cooperation with our inquiry into Corey Lewandowski's influence over and potential personal benefit from contracts awarded by the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS" or "the agency"). Recent reporting based on DHS records and statements by current and former agency personnel reveals that Mr. Lewandowski, a special government employee and DHS advisor under former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, not only has been deeply involved in DHS contracting decisions, he may have unlawfully steered the awarding of contracts to benefit himself and his political allies.^[1] These allegations raise a number of troubling questions about the integrity of DHS procurement. Accordingly, please promptly produce the following DHS records that evidence Mr. Lewandowski's involvement in awarding specific contracts and provide detailed information about Mr. Lewandowski's potentially unlawful influence over any DHS contract.

Public reports indicate that Mr. Lewandowski has been deeply involved in the agency's procurement and that "DHS officials have long suspected that Lewandowski and his closest aides were steering contracts to their allies."^[2] Of foremost concern is that $220 million in DHS contracts were hastily awarded, without the customary cost-saving open bidding process, to produce an advertising campaign featuring Kristi Noem.^[3] The two primary DHS contracting firms have since received "at least $23 million" in commissions in connection with the contracted DHS ad campaign.^[4] A portion of the $220 million in taxpayer dollars benefitted The Strategy Group, "a Republican consulting firm with long-standing personal and business ties to Noem and her senior aides at DHS."^[5] Indeed, Benjamin Yoho, the Strategy Group's CEO is the husband of former DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin.^[6] Mr. Yoho's firm helped produced ads for Ms. Noem's 2022 gubernatorial campaign and received public funds for a separate ad campaign during her time as governor of South Dakota, all while Mr. Lewandowski "worked extensively with the firm."^[7] The Strategy Group has confirmed to us that it spent $286,137 of taxpayer funds for the DHS ad campaign, including a $60,000 "signing bonus" that benefitted the firm and $20,000 in horse rental expenses.^[8]

Separate reporting reveals that Mr. Lewandowski solicited payments from Dr. George Zoley, CEO of GEO Group, a private prison contractor, "in exchange for protecting and growing GEO Group's DHS contracts."^[9] When Dr. Zoley refused, a senior DHS official reportedly alleges that "within weeks of Lewandowski's second meeting with Zoley, Lewandowski told him not to award more contracts to GEO Group."^[10] Separately, the owner of an unnamed marketing firm reportedly alleges that a representative of prime DHS contractor Salus Worldwide Solutions told him that, in order to be hired under a $20 million DHS contract, the marketing firm would "need to make sure we are properly thanking the person who gave it to us. . . naming Lewandowski as the one who had secured the contract and deserved gratitude."^[11] The circumstances surrounding the awarding of the lucrative advertising campaign contracts, and the specific allegations concerning Mr. Lewandoski's solicitation, raise questions about whether DHS contracts during Mr. Lewandowski's tenure were awarded pursuant to federal procurement laws and regulations that prohibit self-dealing and conflicts of interest.^[12]

The possibility that Mr. Lewandowski corruptly influenced or threatened to influence DHS contracts in exchange for direct or indirect kickbacks is deeply troubling. Federal law prohibits the solicitation and payment of kickbacks and bribes that undermine open and fair competition in federal contracting.^[13] Pursuant to our responsibility to oversee DHS and federal contracting, our offices are reviewing allegations of misconduct arising from federal contract awards to assess whether and the extent to which laws and regulations governing honest services and federal procurement may require legislative reform. Accordingly, please provide records^[14] and detailed information responsive to the following requests no later than April 9, 2026.

1. Explain in detail whether and the extent to which Corey Lewandowski directly or indirectly has received any compensation from a contractor, subcontractor, or any third party, in connection with any DHS contract award.
2. Provide all records that evidence Corey Lewandowski's involvement in or approval of contracts awarded by DHS.
3. 1. This request specifically includes, but is not limited to, any "Record of Clearance and Approval," referring or related to any DHS contract, which bears Mr. Lewandowski's name or signature.^[15]
4. For each contract underlying the records responsive to request 1, provide all records that reflect the operative agreement or contract between DHS and the contractor.
5. Provide the names and titles of all DHS personnel that approved the exemption of the advertising campaign contracts ultimately awarded to Safe America Media LLC and People Who Think LLC from full competitive bidding.
6. Provide the March 3, 2026 memo authored by DHS Deputy Under Secretary for Management Paul Stackhouse detailing commissions paid to Safe America Media LLC and People Who Think LLC in connection with their DHS ad campaign contracts.^[16]
7. Provide all communications between Corey Lewandowski and George Zoley.
8. Provide all calendar entries reflecting meetings between or events attended by both Corey Lewandowski and George Zoley.
9. Provide all communications between Corey Lewandowski and any personnel or agent of the DHS Office of the Chief Procurement Officer.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

-30-

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet

1. Immigration