Corey Lewandowski, a long-time political operative and loyalist to President Donald Trump, has carved out a position of significant and controversial power within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), despite holding a role officially meant to be temporary and advisory. Serving as the chief adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Lewandowski operates as a de facto chief of staff, wielding authority that extends to personnel decisions, policy implementation, and the allocation of billions in federal funding, raising concerns among government ethics experts and department insiders.
Officially, Lewandowski is designated as a special government employee (SGE), an unpaid position typically limited to 130 days of service per year for individuals offering specialized expertise. However, sources within DHS and documents reviewed by CNN paint a picture of a far more influential figure. He has reportedly directed the firings of personnel, ordered employees placed on administrative leave, and personally signed off on FEMA grant funding. One source familiar with the dynamic described the situation bluntly: “He’s the de facto chief of staff in the department. Everyone is terrified of him because he has almost singular authority to fire people.”
Lewandowski’s influence is frequently on public display. He has accompanied Secretary Noem on international trips, including recent meetings in South America with officials from Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador. A senior DHS official confirmed Lewandowski’s SGE status and stated his time is tracked by a career employee, but his deep involvement in core departmental functions is unusual for such a role. “This is not what this authority was intended for,” said Sam Berger, a former Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official.
A striking example of his power is his role in the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Described as the President’s “hatchet man,” Lewandowski clashed intensely with former acting FEMA administrator Cameron Hamilton, who resisted the plan. After Lewandowski reportedly ordered polygraph tests to identify press leakers, Hamilton was abruptly fired following his congressional testimony where he opposed eliminating the agency. Lewandowski then allegedly pushed to install a loyalist, David Richardson, as Hamilton’s successor. At his first agency meeting, Richardson publicly thanked “President Trump, Secretary Noem and Corey Lewandowski” for his appointment.
Lewandowski’s career has been a revolving door of high-stakes political roles, often marked by controversy and internal power struggles. He first served as Trump’s campaign manager in 2016 before being fired amid tensions with the Trump family. He briefly returned to the 2024 campaign as a senior adviser but was again sidelined after clashing with campaign chiefs Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, according to The Guardian. One Trump ally described him as a “cockroach” who “never dies.”
His relationship with Kristi Noem also has a complex history. He previously advised her during her time as South Dakota’s governor, but both Noem and a pro-Trump super PAC cut ties with him in 2021 following allegations of unwanted sexual advances toward a GOP donor, which Lewandowski denied. Despite this, he has returned to her inner circle, with The Wall Street Journal describing him as her gatekeeper at DHS. The White House has defended Lewandowski, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson calling him “one of President Trump’s longest and most trusted advisers.”
The use of an SGE in such a powerful, operational capacity blurs the lines between a temporary adviser and a full-time government official, who would be subject to more stringent ethics and disclosure requirements. Experts argue that roles involving significant funding and personnel decisions have not traditionally been filled by SGEs. As Lewandowski continues to act as a key power broker within DHS, his position highlights a broader pattern in the Trump administration of leveraging loyalists in temporary roles to execute its agenda, challenging established norms of governance and accountability.
