The DHS Office of the Inspector General has launched an inquiry into how certain department contracts were solicited and managed, focusing on potential roles by Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski. CNN reports this probe is separate from an ongoing IG audit of fiscal year 2025 grants and contracts. Noem had been questioned over a $220 million advertising campaign that drew scrutiny for lacking a competitive bidding process. She was later removed from DHS and succeeded by Markwayne Mullin.
DHS Inspector General Opens Inquiry Into Contracts Tied to Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a press briefing on election security and support for the SAVE Act at a Homeland Security Investigations Field Office in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. February 13, 2026. REUTERS/Rebecca Noble
The Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General has opened an inquiry into how certain DHS contracts were solicited and managed, including possible involvement by former Secretary Kristi Noem and her aide Corey Lewandowski, CNN reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the probe.
Scope And Context
According to CNN, this inquiry is separate from a broader inspector general audit that is examining DHS grants and contracts awarded in fiscal year 2025. The new probe appears to focus specifically on the solicitation and handling of contracts linked to the Noem-led period at DHS.
Why It Matters
Noem had faced scrutiny at congressional hearings in early March over a $220 million advertising campaign that critics say was awarded to firms with Republican ties without following a conventional competitive bidding process. After those hearings, President Donald Trump removed Noem from her DHS post and said she would serve as a special envoy for a new "Shield of the Americas" initiative. Former U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin has since been named DHS secretary.
The DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the inquiry. The investigation adds to ongoing oversight of DHS contracting practices and could have implications for how politically connected firms are awarded federal work.
Reporting by Christian Martinez and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Bill Berkrot.
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