White House believes Corey Lewandowski is fudging his work hours to stay working with Kristi Noem longer: report
Since February, Lewandowski has been working with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, often joining her on international trips, helping arrange meetings, and making decisions about DHS staff.
The two's working relationship is close enough that some DHS staff reportedly refer to Lewandowski as Noem's 'de facto' chief of staff or 'shadow secretary.'
Officially, Lewandowski is considered a senior adviser who may work in the administration for a maximum of 130 days per year, a rule imposed under his special government employee status – the same status that was held by Elon Musk.
But unnamed administration officials told Axios they believe Lewandowski is trying to evade his expiration date by sneaking into buildings with other staffers to avoid swiping his badge, and using a non-government email to conduct business.
'We're hearing that Corey's doing everything — failing to swipe in, working from home, whatever — to undercount his days,' a White House official told Axios. 'It's fair to say his work is being watched now.'
DHS told Axios Thursday that Lewandowski has only worked 69 days, a number that several administration officials cast doubt on.
In July, the White House released a government-wide memorandum, reminding those with special employee status about the 130-day limit and included guidance on how those days should be computed.
An official familiar with the memorandum said it was not directed at any specific employee. A DHS employee keeps track of Lewandowski's time and submits paperwork on a biweekly basis.
The Independent has asked the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for comment.
Lewandowski has amassed considerable power serving as Noem's apparent right-hand man, according to reports.
He was spotted with Noem while traveling across South America to participate in bilateral meetings as well as trips to Europe, Florida, and Phoenix. He has also secured enough authority to request that employees be fired or placed on administrative leave, according to CNN.
Lewandowski and Noem, both of whom are married, have also been subject to extramarital affair rumors. They have repeatedly denied the allegations. Noem specifically called them a 'disgusting lie.'
A DHS spokesperson previously told the Wall Street Journal that the department 'doesn't waste time with salacious, baseless gossip.'
But the rumors have apparently caused enough concern that Trump has declined to allow Noem to make Lewandowski her chief of staff, according to the Wall Street Journal and Axios.
Lewandowski, a longtime Republican operative, is a well-known and polarizing figure in Trumpworld. He managed Trump's first presidential campaign between 2015 and 2016, but parted ways with the team months before the election.
He remains an ally to the president and briefly returned to serve as a senior adviser during Trump's third election campaign in 2024. However, his role was changed due to an internal power struggle with other senior Trump campaign officials, according to reports.
A spokesperson for the department told the Journal that Lewandowski chose to work for DHS because his wife's first husband died in 9/11.
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