Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) is pressing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for details on the investigation into former DHS official Corey Lewandowski, who was accused of corruption and mismanagement.
In a letter sent Tuesday to newly confirmed DHS Under Secretary for Management Brian Cavanaugh, Hassan sought interim findings and other records from the department’s review.
“The allegations against Mr. Lewandowski, if true, indicate significant corruption, abuse of taxpayer funds, and flagrant conflicts of interest that require Congressional investigation based on a comprehensive record of his tenure at DHS,” Hassan wrote.
The New Hampshire Democrat, who is also a senior member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, opened her investigation into Lewandowski in June after reports raised questions about his involvement in DHS contracting decisions.
Lewandowski, a longtime ally of President Trump, served as a special government employee at the DHS and was a close adviser to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Hassan has alleged that Lewandowski used his position to seek compensation from DHS contractors tied to new or renewed contracts and approved consulting contracts for former political associates of his despite them having no previous experience in Homeland Security policy.
Lewandowski also allegedly reviewed contracts worth more than $100,000 before they could receive Noem’s approval under a newly implemented policy, a process Hassan said delayed critical DHS activities.
Earlier this year, House Democrats asked the DHS inspector general to investigate Lewandowski and sought to rescind the $100,000 contract approval policy.
During Cavanaugh’s nomination hearing, he confirmed that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had begun reviewing contracts Lewandowski may have approved in connection with possible self-dealing and “pay-to-pay” schemes, according to Hassan’s letter.
Cavanaugh had pledged to oversee the process and be “open and transparent and accountable” with oversight committees, and Hassan is asking Cavanaugh to make good on that commitment.
“As the chief management officer and senior acquisition official at DHS, you now have responsibility for overseeing DHS procurement activities and ensuring that the Department spends taxpayer dollars lawfully and effectively,” Hassan wrote.
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