DOJ reportedly opens criminal investigation of Trump ally Corey Lewandowski over his DHS tenure (Oct. 22-23, 2026)

Case

The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and AP report that the Justice Department is investigating Corey Lewandowski, a former special government employee and top adviser at DHS, after a referral from the DHS inspector general. Trump said he had "heard something about" it and wants his people "honest." Lewandowski, through his lawyer, denies wrongdoing; DOJ and DHS had not commented on the record.

What was reported (Oct. 22-23, 2026)
The Wall Street Journal first reported that the Justice Department is investigating Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump adviser who served at DHS as a special government employee and lead adviser to then-Secretary Kristi Noem, over allegations that he profited from his government role. Reuters (Oct. 23) cited three U.S. officials and a fourth person familiar, all anonymous.
The probe began with a criminal referral to DOJ from the DHS inspector general, which had been examining Lewandowski's involvement in handling certain government contracts. One source told Reuters DOJ had not yet issued subpoenas or other legal demands.
A DHS official told Reuters that Lewandowski signed some DHS contracts despite questionable legal authority as a special government employee, and two DHS officials said certain grants and contracts, including some involving FEMA, were put on hold at his direction. These are anonymous-source accounts; the specific allegations under investigation are not public.
Asked about it, Trump said: "I don't know exactly what it is. All I know is, I want my people to be honest. And if they're not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted." (AP, Oct. 23, 2026). He did not defend Lewandowski.
Lewandowski's lawyer, Adam Trigg, told the AP that Lewandowski had not been contacted by DOJ about any investigation, denies wrongdoing and served in a voluntary capacity. DOJ and DHS did not respond on the record in either report.
Both AP and Reuters note the context: DOJ under Trump has pursued prominent critics such as James Comey and Letitia James, but has rarely investigated Trump allies. Reuters adds that it has moved to dismiss several cases involving allies, including some January 6 defendants. Trump fired Noem in March 2026 after controversy that included a $220 million advertising contract awarded without standard bidding.

Earlier reporting and his denial (Sept. 2026)
Per Forbes' summary of a Sept. 2026 Wall Street Journal report, Lewandowski allegedly offered to help Qatar and the UAE with needs such as visas while serving at DHS (both reportedly declined), and allegedly influenced DHS contract decisions, targeting companies he disliked including Palantir and GEO Group. These are allegations, not findings.
The same report said Palantir's pending $2.7 billion DHS contract was reportedly cut to $1 billion after Lewandowski sought a meeting with its CEO, which the company declined.
Lewandowski responded on X in Sept. 2026 that "the whole story is fiction" and called it an "innuendo fake news story."

Perspectives

Defender — Trump and Lewandowski's lawyer
Trump says he wants his people honest and that anyone who is not should be prosecuted, which the administration can point to as evidence that DOJ will pursue allies too. Lewandowski's lawyer says he denies any wrongdoing, served the country in a voluntary capacity, and has not been contacted by DOJ.

Expert view — AP and Reuters reporting (context)
Both wire services frame the probe as unusual because DOJ under Trump has focused on critics and has rarely investigated allies. The probe stems from an inspector general referral, and no subpoenas had reportedly been issued yet; whether it leads to charges is unknown.

Note
Lewandowski denies wrongdoing; his lawyer told the AP he has not been contacted by DOJ, and the specific allegations under investigation have not been made public.

Sources
[1] Reuters via West Hawaii Today (https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2026/10/23/nation-world-news/trump-ally-lewandowski-faces-criminal-investigation-over-dhs-tenure-sources-say/) · 2026-10-23
[2] AP via News4Jax (https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/10/23/trump-says-he-heard-something-about-justice-department-probe-into-longtime-ally-corey-lewandowski/) · 2026-10-23
[3] Forbes, "Lewandowski Blasts 'Fake Story' Alleging He Sought Illegal Side Deals At DHS" (https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/09/08/lewandowski-denies-seeking-side-deals-at-dhs-heres-what-hes-accused-of/) · 2026-09-08

Connections

Same actor — Contracts and payments to Trump allies: documented cases and the open question of no-work retainers (2025–2026)
The published synthesis covers congressional allegations about Lewandowski's dealings with GEO Group and Salus at DHS; this draft covers the reported DOJ criminal investigation.

Related — Trump says Iran is "making up fake hits, mines" to drive up oil prices before midterms, offering no evidence (Oct. 22, 2026)
Both are Oct. 22-23, 2026 items about the administration: one an unusual DOJ probe of an ally, the other an unsupported presidential claim; the connection is chronological, not causal.