Noem Aide Corey Lewandowski Allegedly Boasted of Trump Pardon Protection
Corey Lewandowski, a senior aide to outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, reportedly informed colleagues on multiple occasions that he could act with impunity because former President Donald Trump would grant him a presidential pardon. According to a New York Post investigation based on interviews with individuals who have worked alongside him, Lewandowski made these remarks in an apparent effort to signal he was legally shielded from accountability.
"I Do Whatever I Want": Lewandowski's Reported Remarks
The Post's sources claim Lewandowski stated last year, "I'm not worried. I do whatever the f*** I want. DJT will pardon me." It remains unclear why Lewandowski, who previously served as Trump's 2016 campaign manager, believed he might require such clemency. However, insiders suggested he used the pardon reference as a broad response to indicate he felt protected from potential consequences for a range of alleged professional and personal misconduct.
One source told the newspaper, "He was telling people he was going to get a pardon so he didn't have to worry." Lewandowski has since denied making these statements, telling the Post, "Never said that. Never asked for a pardon and have no reason to receive one."
Control and Controversy Within Noem's DHS Operation
Lewandowski is said to have exercised significant control over aspects of Noem's political operation at the Department of Homeland Security, including approving contracts and abruptly dismissing staff. Since Noem's firing by Trump last week, the president has reportedly sought to determine whether Lewandowski personally profited from a $220 million federal advertising campaign featuring Noem.
An NBC report indicates Trump has grown suspicious about Lewandowski's role in distributing government contracts, according to three people familiar with the conversations. Both Lewandowski and Noem have denied any improper relationship and reject allegations of wrongdoing during their tenure at DHS.
Persistent Allegations of an Affair and Departmental Dynamics
Rumours have long circulated that Noem and Lewandowski, who are both married to other people, engaged in an affair. Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported the pair did little to hide their relationship inside the agency, with officials noting they recently used a luxury 737 MAX jet with a private cabin for travel.
Noem has called the affair allegation a "disgusting lie," and at a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week, she accused lawmakers of spreading "tabloid garbage" when asked if she ever had sexual relations with Lewandowski. Her husband, Bryon Noem, attended the hearing.
Noem's Contentious Tenure and Succession Plans
Noem, a key figure in Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown, faced intense scrutiny after federal immigration agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January. At the same hearing, she refused to apologise for labelling the victims, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as "domestic terrorists."
She is set to be replaced by Markwayne Mullin, a first-term senator from Oklahoma, who has reportedly won backing from Republican senators. Democrats have cautioned that Noem's departure does not necessarily signal a softening of the administration's immigration approach. Noem will transition to a new role focused on combating drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere, presented as a reassignment rather than an exile.
Trump's Pardon Record and White House Process
Since returning to office last year, Trump has pardoned numerous high-profile individuals, including hundreds of supporters involved in the January 6 riot, businessmen like Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, and former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández. Last month, White House insiders described Trump's pardon issuance process as "chaos." The Department of Homeland Security has been contacted for comment on the Lewandowski allegations.
