Some DHS contractors told White House officials they were asked to pay Corey Lewandowski

DHS Contractors Claimed They Were Asked to Pay Corey Lewandowski

Over a year ago, George Zoley, founder of The GEO Group, sought a meeting with Corey Lewandowski, a top adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. At the time, Lewandowski had recently joined the administration, while Zoley represented a company that could benefit from Trump’s aggressive immigration policies. The federal government was projected to spend tens of billions on transporting, detaining, monitoring, and deporting undocumented immigrants, and The GEO Group’s existing contracts in these areas already surpassed $1 billion annually.

Zoley and Lewandowski had clashed during the period between Trump’s November 2024 election victory and his January 2025 inauguration. According to two industry sources and a senior DHS official, Lewandowski had expressed a desire to be paid for supporting the company’s contracts with the Department of Homeland Security. During their discussion, Lewandowski insisted on compensation tied to future deals, a point emphasized by a senior DHS official and three individuals familiar with the exchange.

Zoley, concerned about the appropriateness of the request, refused to agree. The sources described the confrontation as tense. Afterward, Lewandowski became an unpaid “special government employee” at DHS, where he served as a key advisor to Noem and allegedly influenced contract allocations. Despite this, Zoley worked to ease tensions, arranging a second meeting in late February or early March 2025.

“He wanted payments — what some people would call a success fee,” said a person with knowledge of the meeting.

The follow-up meeting did not resolve the issue. Zoley proposed placing Lewandowski on retainer, a recurring consulting fee, but Lewandowski insisted on payment linked to new or renewed contracts. The sources noted Zoley declined the offer, leaving the matter unresolved. In subsequent months, two of The GEO Group’s federal contracts were reduced, and several facilities remained idle as Congress and Trump allocated additional funds to DHS’s deportation operations.

Lewandowski’s spokesperson later denied the allegations, asserting that the GEO Group officials’ claims were untrue. “Mr. Lewandowski never demanded any payment or compensation from The GEO Group, at any time,” his representative stated. When asked about receiving money from contracts he approved, Lewandowski previously told NBC News, “zero, not one penny.”

Lawmakers have since scrutinized the interactions. Noem testified at a congressional hearing where questions were raised about her and Lewandowski’s influence on government contracts. Trump followed up with both of them, inquiring about Lewandowski’s role in DHS decisions, according to a source. Noem was later dismissed as secretary, set to leave on March 31. Lewandowski, however, has not confirmed whether he will depart with her.

On Wednesday, Trump’s nominee to replace Noem, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., addressed a congressional hearing. He was questioned about his willingness to cooperate with a probe into three businesses that received a $220 million advertising contract featuring Noem. The investigation aims to determine if Lewandowski or Noem personally benefited financially from these agreements. Mullin pledged to work with any DHS inspector general inquiry.