Scandal: A series examining corruption in leadership and its downstream consequences.
Corey Lewandowski, the longtime adviser to President Trump who wielded unusual influence inside the Department of Homeland Security, sought private business from officials in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates while serving as a senior adviser to the department, according to an investigation published by The Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Lewandowski approached senior Qatari officials with an offer to help them with visas and other matters handled by Homeland Security if they hired him privately, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the conversations. He made a similar approach to representatives of the United Arab Emirates, according to the newspaper.
Officials from both countries declined the proposals, the Journal reported.
A representative for Mr. Lewandowski denied that he had sought contracts with foreign governments or demanded compensation from government contractors. The representative said Mr. Lewandowski denied any wrongdoing.
The allegations broaden the scrutiny surrounding Mr. Lewandowski’s role at Homeland Security under Kristi Noem, whom President Trump removed as secretary in March.
Mr. Lewandowski served as a special government employee, a temporary federal classification that allows limited government service while permitting some outside work. Such employees remain subject to federal ethics rules, including restrictions on using public office for private gain.
Ms. Noem required her office to review and approve department spending above $100,000. Internal records obtained by ProPublica showed that Mr. Lewandowski personally approved contracts and often appeared near the end of the department’s approval process before matters reached Ms. Noem, contradicting earlier assertions that he played no role in contracting decisions.
“Laws are like spiders’ webs; the big flies get through, while the little ones are caught.”
— Honoré de Balzac, The Firm of Nucingen (1838)
Scandal is The Intellectualist’s series on political misconduct, institutional failure, elite impunity and the systems that allow powerful people to escape accountability.
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