Lewandowski back for another year as DHS's part-time power broker

"He was her political adviser when she was South Dakota's governor. "Kristi is the face of DHS. Corey is the brains. He gets things done," one senior administration official told Axios. Driving the news: Lewandowski's continued involvement in DHS became clear last week, when an Axios reporter saw him standing at a gate at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, speaking loudly into his phone as he appeared to discuss DHS vendors' contracts."

""Mr. Lewandowski was traveling home, on his own dime, to be with his family," a DHS spokesperson said in a written statement. "He does not receive a salary or any federal government benefits. He volunteers his time to serve the American people." Lewandowski is "an adviser," the spokesperson said, adding that Noem, "like all previous secretaries, has various senior advisers." The spokesperson declined to elaborate on Lewandowski's apparent contract discussions."

"Reality check: Lewandowski's work as a special government employee (SGE) is without precedent, according to ethics specialists - beyond the controversial appointments of Elon Musk and Anita Dunn. SGEs are supposed to operate as temporary workers and specialists who help out the government on a part-time basis, often for a specific project. They're limited to 130 days of government employment yearly."

Corey Lewandowski operates as the de facto chief of staff to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after serving as her political adviser when she was governor. He was observed at Reagan National Airport appearing to discuss DHS vendor contracts, including Palantir, and a drone program. A DHS spokesperson said he travels on his own dime, receives no salary or federal benefits, and volunteers as an adviser alongside other senior advisers. Palantir was previously the subject of a Wall Street Journal exposé about his contract involvement. Ethics specialists say his role as a special government employee is without precedent and SGEs are limited to 130 days yearly.

Read at Axios