Corey Lewandowski may have thought he could avoid answering questions about his time at the Department of Homeland Security. But Sen. Maggie Hassan has a message for him: Democrats are preparing to put those questions directly to him — under oath.
The New Hampshire Democrat on Tuesday urged Lewandowski, who worked at DHS under former Secretary Kristi Noem, to preserve all relevant records from his time at the department as allegations mount that he used his government position for personal financial gain.
Lewandowski had previously indicated he wasn’t interested in cooperating with an investigation launched by Hassan. But following Democrats’ victories in the November midterm elections, he appeared to change his tune.
During an appearance on The John Fredericks Show, Lewandowski said he was open to discussing his conduct at DHS, insisting he had “never made any money off of anything that happened” at the department.
Hassan wasn’t about to let that invitation go unanswered.
In a letter to Lewandowski, she pointed directly to his recent comments and made clear that any conversation would be far more formal than a friendly radio interview.
“I was pleased to hear you say on talk radio this week that you knew that I was going to be chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC), that I would want to hear from you about your actions, and that you were ‘happy to have any conversations with anybody’ because you ‘have nothing to hide.’ I look forward to having those conversations, on the record, under oath,” Hassan wrote.
She also raised concerns about whether investigators would have access to a complete record of Lewandowski’s time at DHS.
“Examining these allegations requires a complete record of your tenure, and there is reason to doubt one exists,” Hassan continued.
The scrutiny goes beyond the Senate investigation. *The Wall Street Journal* has reported that the Justice Department is investigating Lewandowski amid allegations that he leveraged his position at DHS for financial gain.
Lewandowski has denied making money from his work at the department. The allegations, however, have now drawn attention from both congressional investigators and federal authorities.
With Hassan preparing to take the chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Lewandowski’s earlier reluctance to cooperate could become a much bigger problem.
And if he truly has nothing to hide, Hassan has made clear that she’s ready to hear his explanation, under oath.
