Lewandowski denies he asked for preemptive Trump pardon for 'years-long power trip' at DHS
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Corey Lewandowski at a MAGA rally in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 2, 2020 (Jeffery Edwards/Shutterstock.com)
Corey Lewandowski was unconcerned with laws while working at the Department of Homeland Security, staff told the New York Post.
In a tell-all piece, staff who worked under outgoing DHS Secretary Noem and Lewandowski revealed details of their work environment.
It's consistent with what Lewandowski said last year, according to another Post report. In that case, Lewandowski alleged he can “do whatever the f—— I want. [President Donald Trump] will pardon me."
The comment was a flippant aside during discussions of official actions, the source said.
Noem was fired by a Truth Social post last week after several tumultuous days testifying about the misappropriation of funds for DHS. Both Noem and Lewandowski are slated to leave the department this month.
One source said that Lewandowski “was telling people he was going to get [a] pardon so he didn’t have to worry."
It's unclear what Lewandowski has done in his capacity at DHS that could necessitate a pardon, but it is now likely to raise red flags to lawmakers conducting oversight on Capitol Hill.
Four other sources told the Post that they didn't hear the remark, but acknowledged it sounded like something he would say.
"Both sources who recounted Lewandowski’s pardon boast heard it as an all-encompassing declaration of immunity from a wide range of alleged professional and personal misconduct, exemplifying what critics view as a years-long power trip," said the report.
“Never said that. Never asked for a pardon and have no reason to receive one,” he denied when asked for comment by the Post.
During Lewandowski's tenure in the office, anything related to Noem was tightly controlled. This includes approving federal contracts.
NBC News reported last Thursday that Trump was asking whether Lewandowski personally profited from the $220 million ad campaign featuring Noem. Allegations around who approved the contracts and why they were so expensive have sparked questions by lawmakers about whether Noem and those connected to her were enriching themselves using federal taxpayer dollars.
“Corey has always behaved like the rules don’t apply to him. People around Trumpworld have been waiting to see how that ends,” one former Trump campaign adviser told the Post.
Speaking before the Senate, Noem threw Trump under the bus when asked about the advertising funds, saying that he approved them, which Trump has denied. However, the “final straw,” came when Noem gave a "sputtering non-denial of having sexual relations with Lewandowski," the report said.
In the past, Noem and Lewandowski have denied their relationship.