DOJ Opens Criminal Probe Into Former DHS Aide Lewandowski
The Facts
- The Justice Department opened a criminal inquiry into Corey Lewandowski over allegations he personally profited from his senior role at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to Thursday reports citing officials familiar with the matter.
- Asked about the matter Thursday, President Donald Trump said he had just heard about it and had not been briefed, adding, "I want my people to be honest, and if they're not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted."
- A lawyer for Lewandowski pushed back on any suggestion of criminal activity, saying his client had not been contacted by the Justice Department and "denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity."
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The Spin
Democratic narrative
Accountability depends on prosecutors who cannot be overruled by the people they investigate. When a president controls both the Justice Department and the pardon power, a probe of his own ally lasts only as long as he permits. A shrinking corruption unit and a suspect who expects clemency suggest that loyalty, not evidence, decides who is ever held to account.
Republican narrative
For years Democrats used the Justice Department against Trump and his allies, and the Jack Smith files keep exposing it, yet the same party now alleges capture. A president who says dishonest staff should be prosecuted has let an investigation reach his own adviser. Accusations of a political department come from those who built one, and this case shows a department following evidence.
