U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has decided to keep political adviser Corey Lewandowski in a senior operational role at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for another year, even though President Donald Trump has declined to formally approve him as her chief of staff.
Lewandowski will continue serving as a “special government employee,” a classification that allows him to work a maximum of 130 days per calendar year and exempts him from many disclosure requirements applied to full-time federal officials. Despite these limits, multiple media reports describe Lewandowski as one of the most influential figures inside DHS, second only to Secretary Noem herself.
Kristi Noem Keeps Corey Lewandowski in Powerful DHS Role Despite Trump’s Refusal to Formalize Appointment
According to reporting by Axios and other outlets, Lewandowski has remained closely involved in nearly every major aspect of DHS operations. His responsibilities reportedly include advising on personnel decisions, participating in high-level policy meetings, coordinating with contractors, reviewing contracts, and helping manage the secretary’s daily schedule.
A senior administration official quoted by Axios described the internal dynamic bluntly: Noem represents the public face of the department, while Lewandowski acts as the operational driver behind the scenes.
This arrangement has drawn scrutiny because Lewandowski is not a Senate-confirmed official and does not hold a formally recognized leadership title within DHS. President Trump has reportedly refused to make the role official or long-term, despite Lewandowski’s close ties to him dating back to the 2016 presidential campaign.
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White House Monitoring and Work Hour Concerns
Lewandowski’s status became controversial in 2025 after reports surfaced that he may have undercounted the number of days he worked as a special government employee. Under federal rules, exceeding the 130-day limit would require reclassification and stricter oversight.
Following those allegations, the White House began monitoring his work schedule more closely, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Despite that scrutiny, Lewandowski remained in the role throughout 2025 and has now been rehired for 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly released detailed information about how his workdays are tracked or enforced.
Visibility at High-Level Meetings
Lewandowski’s influence has also been visible on the international stage. In June 2025, he attended meetings in Costa Rica alongside Secretary Noem, including a session with President Rodrigo Chaves Robles focused on immigration cooperation and regional security initiatives.
Photographs from the visit show Lewandowski present at official diplomatic engagements, reinforcing perceptions that he operates as a de facto chief of staff despite the lack of a formal title.
His presence at these meetings has raised questions among ethics experts about how much authority an unpaid adviser should exercise in sensitive national security discussions.
Questions Around Contractors and Palantir
Additional attention has focused on Lewandowski’s interactions with private contractors. Axios recently reported that a journalist overheard him discussing DHS vendor contracts at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, including references to Palantir and a drone-related program.
A DHS spokesperson told Axios that Palantir has held government contracts for more than a decade and stated that Lewandowski has not worked directly with the company or influenced its contracts.
However, a 2024 report by The Wall Street Journal painted a more complicated picture. The Journal reported that Lewandowski had arranged a meeting between Palantir executives and Secretary Noem and later instructed DHS officials to assign additional work to the company. Weeks afterward, DHS expanded an existing contract, awarding Palantir an additional $29.9 million.
Neither Corey Lewandowski nor DHS has publicly addressed the discrepancy between these accounts.
Limited Disclosure, Ongoing Ethics Debate
As a special government employee, Corey Lewandowski is allowed to maintain private business interests and is not required to file a public financial disclosure form. While he remains subject to federal conflict-of-interest laws, Axios reported that he has declined to explain how he earns income outside government service.
This lack of transparency has fueled criticism from ethics watchdogs, who argue that individuals exercising significant authority over federal contracts and policy should face stronger disclosure requirements.
Political Ties and Internal Friction
Corey Lewandowski remains close to President Trump and served as an adviser during Trump’s 2024 campaign effort. Despite that relationship, sources say Trump has resisted formalizing Corey Lewandowski’s DHS role due to ongoing concerns about optics, internal discipline, and persistent rumors about his personal relationship with Secretary Noem.
Both Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski have denied any romantic involvement. Still, the rumors have circulated widely enough within Washington that senior officials describe them as an open secret.
One administration source summarized the challenge succinctly: Corey Lewandowski operates with significant autonomy, and few people inside the administration feel they can effectively rein him in.
Why the Arrangement Matters
The decision to retain Corey Lewandowski highlights broader tensions within the Trump administration over informal power structures, accountability, and the use of special government employees in senior roles. While the arrangement may offer flexibility and political loyalty, it also raises unresolved questions about transparency, oversight, and the concentration of influence outside traditional confirmation processes.
As DHS continues to play a central role in immigration enforcement, border security, and counterterrorism, scrutiny of who truly holds decision-making power inside the department is unlikely to fade.
For now, Corey Lewandowski remains firmly in place—official title or not.
