Some DHS contractors told White House officials they were asked to pay Corey Lewandowski
DHS Contractors Allege Payment Demands from Corey Lewandowski
Over the past year, during the transition period, George Zoley, founder of The GEO Group, sought a meeting with Corey Lewandowski, a key Trump confidant who had recently joined the Homeland Security team under Secretary Kristi Noem. The company, a major player in the private prison industry, stood to gain from Trump’s aggressive deportation policies, which would allocate billions to federal operations like detainment and tracking of undocumented immigrants. GEO Group’s existing contracts with the government already accounted for over $1 billion annually in these areas.
Zoley and Lewandowski had a history of conflict during the shift from Trump’s November 2024 election to his January 2025 inauguration. According to two industry insiders and a senior DHS official, their disagreements persisted even before Lewandowski took on his government role. During the transition, Lewandowski reportedly approached Zoley with a request for compensation in exchange for supporting the company’s contracts with the Department of Homeland Security.
Zoley, concerned about the implications of the request, resisted the proposal, as described by the sources. The meeting was marked by tension, with Zoley expressing discomfort over the idea of financial ties. Lewandowski later assumed an unpaid position as a “special government employee” at DHS, acting as a de facto chief of staff to Noem and influencing contract decisions, according to the sources.
Later in 2025, Zoley arranged a follow-up session with Lewandowski to ease the earlier disagreement. This meeting also failed to resolve tensions, as Zoley proposed a retainer agreement—recurring consulting fees—offered by the company. Lewandowski, however, pushed for payment linked to future contracts, as per two industry sources. “He wanted payments—what some people would call a success fee,” one person involved in the discussion said. Zoley declined the arrangement, sources noted.
In the months following, two of GEO Group’s federal contracts were shortened, and several facilities designed to house migrants remained underused. Despite Congress and Trump allocating funds for the mass deportation effort, the company’s operations faced setbacks. GEO Group officials believe this is connected to their refusal to meet Lewandowski’s demands, as revealed by an insider.
A senior DHS official stated that shortly after the second meeting, Lewandowski advised against awarding additional contracts to GEO Group. The spokesperson for Lewandowski denied this, asserting,
“This is absolutely false and did not happen — Mr. Lewandowski never demanded any payment or compensation from the Geo Group, at any time.”
The official also claimed Lewandowski never sought financial gain from the contracts he approved, adding,
“zero, not one penny.”
was his response to inquiries about compensation.
Lawmakers are now examining Lewandowski’s influence on DHS contracting. Noem testified at a congressional hearing earlier this month, where her collaboration with Lewandowski was questioned. Trump contacted both after the session, probing Lewandowski’s role. The president subsequently removed Noem from her position, effective March 31, citing her performance. Lewandowski, however, remains uncertain about his future with the agency, as he shared with NBC News.
On Wednesday, Senator Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Trump’s nominee to replace Noem, addressed a congressional inquiry about his cooperation with a probe into three companies that received a $220 million advertising contract featuring Noem. The investigation aims to uncover if either Noem or Lewandowski benefited financially from the deals. Mullin confirmed his support for any DHS inspector general review. Trump has also recently…
