Some DHS contractors told White House officials they were asked to pay Corey Lewandowski
Some DHS Contractors Claimed to White House Officials They Were Requested to Pay Corey Lewandowski
Over a year ago, George Zoley, the founder of The GEO Group, sought a meeting with Corey Lewandowski, a key supporter of President Donald Trump who had recently joined the administration as a top adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Zoley’s company, a major player in the private prison sector, stood to gain significantly from Trump’s aggressive deportation policies, which aimed to increase federal spending on immigration operations by billions of dollars annually. At the time, GEO Group’s contracts with the government already exceeded $1 billion per year.
However, Zoley and his team were anxious about the growing influence of Lewandowski in securing new contracts. The two had a prior disagreement during the transition from Trump’s November 2024 election victory to his January 2025 inauguration, according to industry sources and a senior DHS official. During that period, Lewandowski reportedly told Zoley he wanted compensation for supporting GEO Group’s interests within the new administration, as confirmed by a senior DHS official and three individuals involved in the conversation.
Zoley, concerned about the ethical implications, rejected the proposal, sources said, calling the interaction “tense.” Afterward, Lewandowski was appointed as an unpaid “special government employee” at DHS, where he served as a de facto chief of staff to Noem and influenced contract decisions. Despite this, Zoley tried to ease the situation by arranging a follow-up meeting in late February or early March 2025. In that session, he offered to pay Lewandowski a recurring consulting fee, but the adviser insisted on being compensated based on the value of any new or extended contracts, as stated by two industry sources.
“He wanted payments — what some people would call a success fee,” one person with knowledge of the meeting explained. Zoley refused, and shortly afterward, several of GEO Group’s federal contracts were reduced, with some facilities remaining unused even as Congress and Trump allocated funds for mass deportation efforts. A source close to GEO Group officials linked these changes to their refusal to agree to Lewandowski’s demands.
A senior DHS official told NBC News that Lewandowski pressured him not to award additional contracts to GEO Group following their second meeting. The adviser’s spokesperson, however, denied this, stating, “This is absolutely false and did not happen — Mr. Lewandowski never demanded any payment or compensation from the GEO Group, at any time.” When asked if he had ever received money from contracts he approved, Lewandowski previously told NBC News, “zero, not one penny.”
Lawmakers have since investigated Lewandowski’s role in contract decisions. Noem testified at a congressional hearing, where questions were raised about her and Lewandowski’s involvement. Trump called both of them afterward, inquiring about Lewandowski’s influence on DHS contracts, according to a source familiar with the call. Noem was later dismissed, with her departure scheduled for March 31. Lewandowski, however, has not decided whether to leave with her.
On Wednesday, Trump’s nominee to replace Noem, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., faced questions during a congressional hearing about whether he would cooperate with a Democratic-led probe into three businesses that received a $220 million advertising contract featuring Noem. The inquiry examines if Noem or Lewandowski benefited financially from the agreements. Mullin confirmed his willingness to work with any DHS inspector general investigation.
