Kristi Noem & Rumored Lover Corey Lewandowski May Have More To Worry About Than Lost Jobs

Kristi Noem is out as the leader of the Department of Homeland Security, and while her post-firing social media has made it look like Noem is grasping for a silver lining, her trouble might just be beginning. And she's not alone, Corey Lewandowski, one of her top aides and someone Noem's rumored to be having an affair with, left not long after. But while Noem and Lewandowski might be out of DHS, there are still those who want to investigate their actions while they were there. One major issue that came up during the hearings involving Noem and Lewandowski is how DHS money was spent and who approved it. It's not something that sounds like it will be swept under the rug or forgotten any time soon.

Noem was fired after she was grilled during congressional hearings over a variety of aspects of her work at DHS. One particularly dramatic moment of the hearings was the questioning by Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse. He honed in on the multi-million dollar contract given to Safe America Media to make ads for DHS, including one of Noem on a horse at Mount Rushmore; Noem loves a MAGA cowgirl stunt. He asked Noem why $143 million was given to the company since it was linked to a Republican political operative, hadn't done work for the government before, and was founded just eight days before the contract was awarded.

During the hearing, Noem made it seem as though Trump had signed off on the ads in question. However, he later said he hadn't, and it may have been that claim from Noem that got her fired. Trump is apparently also curious about what role Lewandowski played in awarding the contract; Lewandowski has denied making any money based on DHS contracts, via NBC News.

The Department of Homeland Security under Kristi Noem's leadership also gave a $250,000 contract to a consulting firm, American Made Media Company (AMMC) LLC, whose founders had worked with Lewandowski in the past, according to The Guardian. Was that just a coincidence? It's hard to know, but it seems like Noem would have had knowledge of where the money was going. Back in June 2025, Noem said that she needed to personally approve any DHS spending over $100,000.

Beyond that, Noem said in the hearings that Lewandowski didn't have any say on the contracts; however, that may not have been entirely truthful. DHS employees have said that despite Noem's denials, Lewandowski did play a role in the approval process, according to ProPublica. Lying under oath to Congress is a crime. And not only were some contracts given to some potentially dodgy recipients, but Noem's requirement to review payments over $100,000 reportedly led to delays in FEMA money being delivered to those who needed it, per The New York Times.

During the congressional hearings, Noem was also questioned about the $70 million request to buy a plane that was theoretically to help deport migrants, but could only seat 18 and included a bedroom. Noem said that the plane was being "refurbished," seemingly to remove the bedroom, via YouTube. The bedroom with a queen-size bed would certainly be convenient for the two of them if the rumors about the affair were true, and The Wall Street Journal reported that the two of them flew in it multiple times. Noem was asked directly about whether she was having an affair with Lewandowski. She called the question "tabloid garbage," via C-SPAN. Though she didn't ever actually answer the question.