Noem Flails When Asked if She Had “Sexual Relations” With DHS Adviser
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem got hot under the collar when asked if she was sleeping with one of her employees.
Corey Lewandowski’s official title at DHS is that of an unpaid, temporary “special government employee,” but for years, the rumor around Washington has been that he’s also Noem’s paramour. Multiple sources told New York magazine’s Ben Terris last year that the two have a romantic relationship. Noem was spotted on Lewandowski’s lap during one conservative conference in 2019; a FEMA official later told Terris their entanglement was the “worst-kept secret in D.C.”
In a House Judiciary hearing Wednesday, California Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove asked Noem if she has had sexual relations with Lewandowski during her time at DHS.
Noem reacted with indignation. “I’m shocked we’re going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this hearing,” she said, before proceeding to talk over Kamlager-Dove while the representative tried to reclaim her time.
“You should be able to answer … if someone is asking if you or any federal official is sleeping with their subordinate.… You should be wanting to answer that question,” Kamlager-Dove said.
“It’s garbage,” Noem shot back. “It’s offensive.”
KAMLAGER-DOVE: At any point in your tenure at DHS, have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2026
NOEM: I'm surprised we're peddling tabloid garbage in this hearing
KAMLAGER-DOVE: You should be able to answer if someone asks if you or any federal official is sleeping… pic.twitter.com/q6CQoVTVtb
With the help of Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, Kamlager-Dove reclaimed her time.
“It’s about your judgment and decision-making,” Kamlager-Dove said. “It’s about the 260,000 employees that work under you that want to make sure that you are giving information and making decisions clearly. It is about conflict of interest. It is about a national security risk.”
That Noem sleeping with an employee could present a national security risk may sound silly, but Lewandowski has already been handed inexplicable access to the department. Axios determined that Lewandowski has been present at DHS headquarters for far longer than his temporary contract permitted as a special government employee, while Politico reported that he has had oversight over six-figure DHS contracts in his role. Former DHS employee Cameron Hamilton told Terris that he was fired by Lewandowski while the latter sat and smirked from behind Noem’s desk.
So yes, Lewandowski already holds a concerning amount of power with DHS. Fortunately, Noem dodging questions about their relationship will only bring more scrutiny on how America’s top security official likes to mix business with pleasure. “Tabloid garbage,” indeed.