WSJ Report Raises Ethics Questions About Noem, Lewandowski

According to the Wall Street Journal (Center bias), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and top adviser Corey Lewandowski are "facing fire" over their "confrontational immigration crackdown and self-promotional style."

Rumors Of An Affair: Lewandowski, after being denied the job of Noem's chief of staff, accepted a role as a special government employee, a position that allows private-sector employees to take advisory roles in government but limits their time of service to 130 days per year. According to unnamed officials cited in the report, Trump denied Lewandowski the chief of staff role due to reports of a romantic relationship with Noem, who, like Lewandowski, is married with children. Both Noem and Lewandowski have publicly denied the reports, and a DHS spokeswoman said the department "doesn't waste time with salacious, baseless gossip." Daily Mail (Lean Right) reported last year on exclusive tabloid photos of Lewandowski walking back and forth between his apartment and Noem's. Noem has since moved into a house on a military base in Washington, where Lewandowski has reportedly spent time and been seen taking out the trash. The two, according to unnamed people familiar with the matter, have recently been traveling together in a luxury 737 MAX jet with a private cabin in the back.

Guns and a Blanket: Lewandowski and Noem have also reportedly "fired or demoted roughly 80% of the career ICE field leadership that was in place when they started." The report also said that the pair often "berate senior level staff," giving "polygraph tests to employees they don't trust." During one instance, Noem was forced to "switch planes after a maintenance issue was discovered, but her blanket wasn't moved to the second plane." Allegations stated that she fired the Coast Guard pilot over the mishap, later reinstating him once realizing there was no one else to fly them back. Lewandowski also reportedly "rankled" senior staff at the agency over requests to be issued a gun and a badge. Formerly a top ICE official in New York, Tom Feeley, was reportedly passed over for a top job at ICE after denying Lewandowski's request. The DHS spokeswoman denied that Lewandowski made any efforts to secure a gun and badge, although DHS staff have reportedly spotted Lewandowski wearing a "Homeland Security" badge.

How The Media Covered It: Outlets on the left, like Daily Beast (Left), highlighted the alleged affair between Noem and Lewandowski, saying "ICE Barbie's Mile-High Privacy Chamber With Alleged Lover Exposed." Others, like Mediaite (Lean Left), detailed what the outlet called "The 5 Wildest Revelations From Bombshell Kristi Noem-Corey Lewandowski Exposé." Some of the "wildest revelations" included that "Trump is concerned by their relationship," and Lewandowski's alleged abuse of his special government employee status, calling it an "odd arrangement." Outlets on the right, like the New York Post (Lean Right) said that Lewandowski, "who unofficially acts as chief of staff for Noem—with whom he's had a years-long affair—has overseen a reign of terror over department staff since President Trump took office last year." Daily Mail (Lean Right) called the reported issues "chaos inside Homeland Security" and highlighted the reported firing of the Coast Guard Pilot over Noem's "missing blanket."    

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