On Thursday, it was revealed that the Trump administration has launched an "unusual" investigation into the conduct of one of its own. According to the Wall Street Journal, a new Department of Justice inquiry into former Homeland Security advisor Corey Lewandowski is one of the first second-term investigations into a figure so close to President Donald Trump.
As the Journal explains, "The Justice Department is examining allegations that Corey Lewandowski profited off his top position at the Department of Homeland Security, people familiar with the matter said. The inquiry is based on a referral from the DHS inspector general, which shared its findings about Lewandowski’s tenure at the department in recent days." Lewandowski served as the top adviser to then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, but the pair -- widely rumored to be romantically involved -- were fired from the department in March, following increasingly embarrassing revelations about the infighting at the agency and their spending decisions.
According to the Journal, "While at the department, Lewandowski appeared to try to use his vast influence for personal financial gain, including asking several countries in the Middle East to hire him on the side to assist with visa issues and other matters, The Wall Street Journal has previously reported. He or close associates signed off on nearly all department spending decisions for amounts exceeding $100,000, giving Lewandowski visibility into the array of contractors DHS worked with, and the ability to hold the contracts up." He has previously denied seeking foreign contracts while in government or playing a role in approving DHS contracts.
Over the course of Trump's second term, Justice Department officials have mainly focused on trying -- and often failing -- to build cases against Trump’s political adversaries, frequently dropping cases involving people with ties to the administration. "More broadly," writes the Journal, "the Justice Department has curtailed efforts to pursue cases of fraud and corruption against public officials, amid criticism from Trump and others in the administration who say such prosecutions weaponize the justice system for political ends. A unit that focused on such investigations is down to two prosecutors, after roughly two dozen others left the department or were transferred to other roles."
But the administration may be forced to act in this case, as investigators with the DHS inspector general’s office found evidence in July that Lewandowski may have been involved in improperly awarding government contracts. As a result, the office has for months been weighing a criminal referral to the Justice Department. According to insiders, the investigators looked into many of the contracts the department signed during Noem’s tenure and were surprised at how involved Lewandowski was in the contracting process. He personally signed specific contracts despite not technically serving as a full-time U.S. government official. "Lewandowski served as Trump’s first campaign manager in 2016 and has maintained a close relationship over the years with the president, who valued his loyalty," explains the Journal. "Lewandowski has told people close to him he expects the president would pardon him in the event of a criminal case."