Neguse, Raskin, Judiciary Democrats Demand Chairman Jordan Subpoena Corey Lewandowski Over Role in $220 Million No-Bid DHS Ad Spending Scheme

Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse and Representative Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, led Committee Democrats in demanding that Chairman Jim Jordan launch an investigation into allegations that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials steered hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to politically connected firms through no-bid contracts and subpoena Corey Lewandowski, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s top adviser and “special government employee,” over his central role in the spending.

Committee Democrats’ demand comes after Chairman Jordan himself said he is “concerned” and that the Committee would “take a look” at the spending. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino also acknowledged that Mr. Lewandowski “had his hands in a lot and probably should not have.”

This letter is the latest in a series of actions taken after Congressman Neguse exposed former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s involvement in a $220 million, taxpayer-funded ad campaign that financially benefited her inner circle. 

“We urge you to use the Committee’s subpoena power to compel production of documents and communications regarding Mr. Lewandowski’s role in awarding these contracts and require Corey Lewandowski to appear before the Committee for a deposition. […] Oversight of DHS is our shared responsibility. Let’s work together, on behalf of American taxpayers, to investigate these corrupt contracts and DHS’s efforts to cover them up,” Neguse, Raskin, and their colleagues wrote." 

The facts surrounding former Secretary Noem and Mr. Lewandowski’s conduct are deeply troubling. DHS bypassed competitive bidding requirements to spend $220 million on a series of television advertisements, including spots prominently featuring Secretary Noem.

Even more alarming, $143 million was routed to a newly formed LLC created just days earlier, which then funneled funds to a firm with close ties to Secretary Noem and her senior staff—raising serious questions about whether taxpayer dollars were deliberately steered to political allies.

“Indeed, when Representative Joe Neguse confronted Secretary Noem at our Committee’s hearing on March 4 with evidence that the contracts were not competitively bid, the Secretary was forced to concede the point—insisting all the while that the process was ‘all done correctly, all done legally.’ The President himself has disavowed any knowledge of the campaign, telling reporters that, contrary to Secretary Noem’s sworn statement, ‘never knew anything about it’ and ‘I wasn’t thrilled with it.’ The ad campaign was widely reported to be a principal reason for Secretary Noem’s removal,” they continued. 

Despite Secretary Noem’s sworn testimony denying Mr. Lewandowski’s involvement, internal records reviewed by ProPublica suggest otherwise. Those records indicate that Mr. Lewandowski approved major contracts, signed off on spending before it reached the Secretary’s desk, and exercised effective veto power over expenditures exceeding $100,000—all while refusing to disclose whether he received outside compensation from entities tied to the contracts.

President Donald Trump has publicly disavowed the advertising campaign, reportedly a key factor in Secretary Noem’s removal.

The letter concludes: “In order to get answers, the Committee must investigate the person at the center of these corrupt contracts—Corey Lewandowski. [...] Mr. Lewandowski was at the center of the Department’s advertising spending and is the person best positioned to explain how a quarter of a billion dollars in taxpayer money was spent. [We] therefore call on you to subpoena Corey Lewandowski to appear for testimony before the Committee.” 

Judiciary Democrats are calling on Chairman Jordan to follow through: launch a full investigation, use the Committee’s subpoena power, and compel Mr. Lewandowski to testify and produce documents detailing his role in directing DHS contracts.

Click HERE to read the letter to Chairman Jordan.

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