Overview

• New York Magazine reports that Corey Lewandowski functions as a "shadow secretary" at Homeland Security, with insiders describing him as Noem’s handler and a micromanager over routine decisions.
• Lewandowski serves as an unpaid special government employee with a typical 130‑day annual limit, and White House officials have monitored his days and recently summoned him and Noem over concerns about their management style.
• The exposé details a tense meeting where Noem and Lewandowski allegedly yelled at DHS staff after coverage of internal delays, with multiple employees describing profane outbursts.
• Sources tie widespread operational bottlenecks to Noem’s rule requiring her sign‑off on all expenditures over $100,000, citing delays that affected FEMA aid, TSA equipment contracts, and ICE operations.
• DHS, in a statement to Fox News Digital, denounced the story as anonymous gossip and said all decisions are made by Secretary Noem while Lewandowski serves only as an advisor, as New York Magazine stood by its reporting.