Some DHS contractors told White House officials they were asked to pay Corey Lewandowski
Some DHS Contractors Claimed to Have Been Requested to Compensate Corey Lewandowski
Over a year ago, George Zoley, the founder of The GEO Group, sought a meeting with Corey Lewandowski, a key supporter of former President Donald Trump who had recently assumed a prominent role as a top advisor to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. At the time, Zoley’s company was poised to gain from Trump’s deportation-focused policies, which would significantly increase federal spending on immigrant detention and removal. The GEO Group’s existing contracts with the government in these areas already exceeded $1 billion annually.
However, Zoley and his team were unsettled by the growing influence Lewandowski had over contract decisions. The two had clashed during the transition from Trump’s November 2024 election victory to his January 2025 inauguration, before Lewandowski officially joined the administration, according to two industry insiders and one senior DHS official. During that period, Lewandowski reportedly told Zoley he expected payment in exchange for safeguarding and expanding GEO Group’s contracts, as confirmed by the official and three individuals familiar with their conversation.
Zoley, troubled by the request, rejected the idea, describing the interaction as tense. Lewandowski later became an unpaid “special government employee” at DHS, where he served as a de facto chief of staff to Noem and influenced contract approvals, sources said. Despite this, Zoley tried to ease the situation by arranging a follow-up meeting in late February or early March 2025. This second encounter did not resolve the issue, as Lewandowski insisted on being paid based on new or renewed contracts, according to two industry sources. “He wanted payments — what some people would call a success fee,” one person close to the meeting explained.
Zoley ultimately refused the arrangement. In the months that followed, two of GEO Group’s federal contracts were reduced, and several of its facilities for housing migrants remained idle, even as Congress and Trump allocated substantial funds to DHS for deportation efforts. GEO Group officials attributed this to their refusal to comply with Lewandowski’s demands, a source close to their reasoning stated. A senior DHS official added that Lewandowski informed him shortly after the second meeting not to award additional contracts to the company.
Lewandowski’s spokesperson later denied the allegations, asserting, “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 “any money from any of the contracts” he approved, Lewandowski previously told NBC News, “zero, not one penny.”
Recent Developments and Congressional Scrutiny
Lawmakers are now investigating Lewandowski’s role in DHS contracting. Noem testified at a congressional hearing earlier this month, where questions were directed at her and Lewandowski’s involvement in awarding government contracts. Trump reportedly called both of them afterward, inquiring about Lewandowski’s influence on decisions, a source with knowledge of the call told NBC News. Noem was later dismissed, with her departure scheduled for March 31. Lewandowski has yet to decide whether he will remain with the agency as Noem leaves.
In December 2025, GEO Group secured a $121 million contract for services aiding the DHS in locating immigrants, despite the earlier tensions. Meanwhile, Trump’s nominee to replace Noem, Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, faced questions during a congressional hearing about cooperating with a probe into three companies that received a $220 million advertising contract featuring Noem. The investigation aims to determine if Noem or Lewandowski personally benefited financially from the agreements.
