The company's existing federal contracts in those areas already totaled more than $1 billion annually.
During Trump's transition to the White House, Lewandowski told Zoley "he wanted to be paid in exchange for protecting and growing GEO Group's DHS contracts," according to a senior DHS official and three people familiar with the discussion. Zoley, concerned about propriety, told Lewandowski "he would have no part of it," sources said, describing the confrontation as tense.
Once the new administration took office, Lewandowski assumed an unpaid "special government employee" role at DHS, where he served as "de facto chief of staff" to Noem and, sources said, influenced contract awards. Seeking to ease tensions from their previous encounter, Zoley arranged a follow-up meeting with Lewandowski in late February or early March 2025.
That second meeting proved little better. Zoley offered to place Lewandowski on retainer — a recurring consulting fee — with GEO Group, according to two industry sources. Lewandowski rejected the offer, stating he wanted compensation based on the company's new or renewed DHS contracts, according to NBC News.
"He wanted payments—what some people would call a success fee," said a person with knowledge of the meeting. Zoley declined. Afterward, two of GEO Group's federal contracts were shortened, and several of its facilities that could house migrants remain idle, even as Congress and Trump have funded DHS's mass deportation campaign. GEO Group officials believe this resulted from refusing Lewandowski's solicitations, a source familiar with their thinking said.
A senior DHS official told NBC News that within weeks of the second meeting, Lewandowski instructed him not to award additional contracts to GEO Group. Lewandowski's spokesperson denied this.
Now lawmakers are scrutinizing Lewandowski's role. After Noem testified at a congressional hearing about her and Lewandowski's involvement in government contracts, Trump called both to discuss his role in DHS contracting decisions, a source told NBC News. Trump subsequently fired Noem, announcing her departure as secretary on March 31. Lewandowski has not decided whether to leave DHS with her.
Trump has also questioned aides about whether Lewandowski personally profited from the advertising campaign, at one point allegedly telling advisers: "Corey made out on that one."
NBC News' report was based on a seven-month investigation and interviews with nearly two dozen people who expressed concerns about Lewandowski's contracting role.
One marketing firm with no prior federal contracting experience abandoned plans to pursue two lucrative DHS contracts after receiving requests to pay Lewandowski indirectly, according to someone familiar with the discussions. The firm's official later recounted the experience to a Trump administration official, who confirmed it to NBC News.
The firm was contacted by Salus Worldwide Solutions, run by William Walters, reported by The Washington Post as a donor to the America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit promoting Trump administration-aligned causes. In May 2025, Salus won a fast-tracked $1 billion DHS deportation contract.
A Salus representative asked the marketing firm owner about pursuing a $20 million contract to create materials for a DHS-affiliated agency, NBC reported. During a September conference call, Salus laid out most details. But afterward, a Salus representative called with a final requirement.
"You're going to have to bring in a consultant to manage it," the representative told the marketing firm owner. When the owner asked what to manage, the representative replied: "Manage the relationship." Confused, the owner asked for clarification, blaming his inexperience with federal contracting.
"We are guaranteed this contract, but we need to make sure we are properly thanking the person who gave it to us," the Salus representative said, naming Lewandowski as the one who secured the contract and deserved gratitude. The owner was told he could hire one of several consulting firms connected to Lewandowski.
This alarmed the marketing firm owner. He called two federal contracting professionals, asking if such an arrangement was standard. One called it a "giant red flag," while the other raised legal concerns, according to the report.
The Salus representative then told the owner that because he refused to hire a consultant, the marketing firm would not receive the deal. The contract was ultimately not awarded to Salus.
Lewandowski's spokesperson called the allegations "patently false. Mr. Lewandowski had no conversations with anyone regarding a marketing contract." The spokesperson added: "Any insinuation that someone was speaking on behalf of Mr. Lewandowski was completely unauthorized and if undertaken, it was done so without his knowledge."
Salus's lawyer denied both meetings' accounts as "entirely false" and stated: "Salus would never entertain this type of arrangement." The lawyer added that Salus "was never funded to perform work involving a subcontract to a marketing firm."
