WASHINGTON — Embattled Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem’s high aide and alleged lover Corey Lewandowski bragged that he may do “no matter” he wished as a strong federal official as a result of he believed President Trump would pardon him, The Put up has discovered.
The political pit bull made the comment on a number of events tied to his work as a particular authorities worker, sources revealed within the wake of the DHS duo’s downfall.
“I’m not anxious. I do regardless of the f–okay I need. DJT will pardon me,” Lewandowski informed one among The Put up’s sources final 12 months — making the flippant apart throughout a dialogue about official actions.
One other supply mentioned Lewandowski, who is predicted to go away the division this month alongside Noem, “was telling folks he was going to get [a] pardon so he didn’t have to fret.”
4 different sources who’ve labored with Lewandowski mentioned they didn’t hear the comment, however that it appeared like one thing he would say, citing their expertise with him.
Lewandowski denied claiming he was free to behave with impunity.
“By no means mentioned that. By no means requested for a pardon and haven’t any purpose to obtain one,” he informed The Put up.
Each sources who recounted Lewandowski’s pardon boast heard it as an all-encompassing declaration of immunity from a variety of alleged skilled and private misconduct, exemplifying what critics view as a years-long power-trip.
Lewandowski tightly managed operations below Noem, together with approving contracts and abruptly firing workers. He’s sparked a persistent and as-yet-unproven swirl of accusations of impropriety, together with experiences that he and his political allies are enriching themselves with taxpayer-funded contracts.
Each he and Noem have denied having an improper relationship and allegations of any wrongdoing tied to their work at DHS.
It’s unclear what precisely Lewandowski would possibly want a pardon for however NBC Information reported Thursday that President Trump was asking if Lewandowski profited personally from a $220 million federal promoting marketing campaign that featured Noem.
Administration officers throughout DC have acknowledged there are questions on how the duo ran Homeland Safety. That advert marketing campaign was the topic of a sequence of questions Noem confronted final week on Capitol Hill. Her solutions contributed to her downfall.
Though Trump has certainly pardoned many allies, there’s divided opinion about whether or not Lewandowski actually has a get-out-of-jail-free card.
“Corey has at all times behaved like the principles don’t apply to him. Individuals round Trumpworld have been ready to see how that ends,” mentioned a former Trump marketing campaign adviser.
This particular person mentioned that if Lewandowski was discovered to have abused his authorities place for private acquire, he doubts that Trump would grant clemency “absent a witch hunt.”
Other than his authorities service, Lewandowski confronted accusations however not prices in 2017 for allegedly slapping the buttocks of fellow Trump supporter Pleasure Villa. In 2016, he confronted a battery cost that was later dropped for manhandling then-Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields.
These allegations, nonetheless, wouldn’t have essentially been federal crimes pardonable by a president. Lewandowski known as Fields’ account “delusional” on the time and known as for due course of within the Villa case.
Trump fired Noem on Thursday after two days of congressional hearings the place she was accused by Democrats of mendacity about Lewandowski’s position in doling out profitable contracts, grilled on Lewandowski’s hyperlinks to corporations that netted the funds, and queried about her private relationship with him.
The “closing straw,” sources informed The Put up, apparently was her sputtering non-denial of getting “sexual relations” with Lewandowski.
Noem and Lewandowski had already been shedding energy since federal brokers killed a second activist, Alex Pretti, in January as a part of a mass-deportation surge. Trump despatched their inside rival, border czar Tom Homan, to the Twin Cities to calm the state of affairs.
However Lewandowski has been on the outs earlier than, and his critics concern he can be again.
Lewandowski misplaced his job as Trump’s first marketing campaign supervisor in 2016 and located himself on skinny ice once more in 2019 when his affiliate David Bossie was uncovered for allegedly raking in $18.5 million for an unauthorized group known as the Presidential Coalition, which reportedly fooled senior residents into pondering they have been serving to Trump-aligned candidates.
A big chunk of the funds went to purchase books he coauthored with Lewandowski, although the previous marketing campaign supervisor was circuitously implicated.
In 2021, he was compelled out of a pro-Trump tremendous PAC after allegedly making undesirable advances towards donor Trashelle Odom — earlier than following Noem into DHS greater than three years later. Legal professionals for Lewandowski beforehand informed CBS the case had been dismissed.
Lewandowski’s standing as an unpaid particular authorities worker meant he didn’t need to file public monetary experiences. Such staff are capped at 130 days per 12 months, however he managed to work all through 2025 by slipping into DHS headquarters unlogged, sources mentioned.
Nonetheless, he stays near Trump, who is alleged to get pleasure from his friendship and to understand how Lewandowski dealt with his first presidential marketing campaign.
“He’s a survivor,” mentioned a unique former Trump marketing campaign official.
This supply mentioned Lewandowski’s perception that he’d get a pardon was credible.
“He’s in all probability proper.”
The White Home didn’t reply to a request for remark.
