Questions are swirling around former Homeland Security leadership after sources alleged that a top aide to former Secretary Kristi Noem once suggested he operated without fear of consequences because he believed President Donald Trump would pardon him if necessary.
According to the New York Post, Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump ally who served as a special government employee at the Department of Homeland Security, allegedly remarked during conversations about his role in the agency, people familiar with the matter have claimed.
“I’m not worried. I do whatever the f–k I want. DJT will pardon me,” Lewandowski told one source last year, the person said.
The comment reportedly came while discussing official actions tied to his work at DHS.
Lewandowski, however, strongly denied making such a statement.
“Never said that. Never asked for a pardon and have no reason to receive one,” he told The Post.
Four other individuals who had worked with Lewandowski said they never personally heard the remark.
Still, they suggested the statement sounded consistent with his personality based on their past experiences with him.
At DHS, Lewandowski was widely viewed as a powerful figure within Noem’s operation. Sources said he maintained tight control over internal operations, including approving contracts and overseeing personnel decisions.
His role has also been surrounded by accusations of impropriety, though none have been proven. Critics have claimed that Lewandowski and associates may have benefited from taxpayer-funded contracts tied to the agency.
Both Lewandowski and Noem have denied any wrongdoing connected to their work at the department. They have also rejected allegations that their relationship was inappropriate.
Questions about Lewandowski’s conduct intensified after reports emerged that Trump had asked whether Lewandowski personally benefited from a $220 million federal advertising campaign that featured Noem.
That campaign became a focal point during congressional hearings last week, when Noem faced questions from lawmakers about how contracts were awarded.
The hearings ultimately contributed to her departure from the department.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the “final straw” came when Noem gave what critics described as an unclear response when asked whether she had “sexual relations” with Lewandowski.
Both have denied having an improper relationship.
Lewandowski’s critics say his reputation for testing boundaries has long followed him through politics.
“Corey has always behaved like the rules don’t apply to him. People around Trumpworld have been waiting to see how that ends,” a former Trump campaign adviser said.
Still, the same adviser suggested that a presidential pardon would be unlikely unless Lewandowski were targeted unfairly.
“If Lewandowski was found to have abused his government position for personal gain,” the adviser said, he doubts Trump would grant clemency, “absent a witch hunt.”
Lewandowski has faced controversy before during his time in politics.
In 2016, he faced a battery charge after an incident involving then-Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields. The charge was later dropped. A year later, he was accused of slapping the buttocks of Trump supporter Joy Villa, though no charges were filed in that case.
Lewandowski denied wrongdoing in both incidents. At the time, he called Fields’ account “delusional” and said the Villa matter deserved due process.
Despite past controversies, Lewandowski has remained a close associate of Trump.
“He’s a survivor,” said another former Trump campaign official.
That source added that Lewandowski’s confidence about a potential pardon might not be entirely misplaced.
“He’s probably right.”
