Congressional Democrats are pushing the Republican-led House to subpoena Corey Lewandowski, a top adviser to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, over his alleged involvement in a controversial border security ad campaign that drew criticism from both parties.
In a letter sent Wednesday, House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado called on Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio to open an investigation and require Lewandowski to sit for a deposition.
They framed the issue as a matter of taxpayer oversight, urging Jordan to compel both testimony and documents related to Lewandowski’s role in shaping the ad campaign.
“We urge you to use the Committee’s subpoena power to compel production of documents and communications regarding Mr. Lewandowski’s role in awarding these contracts and require Mr. Lewandowski to appear before the Committee for a deposition,” the lawmakers wrote. “Mr. Lewandowski was at the center of the Department’s advertising spending and is the person best positioned to explain how a quarter of a billion dollars in taxpayer money was spent.”
The ad campaign itself, which prominently featured Noem — including footage of her on horseback at Mount Rushmore — raised concerns among some Republicans. They questioned whether the contracts followed a competitive bidding process and whether the spending was justified.
It is RARE to see an exchange like this between a cabinet secretary and a senator of their own party.
GOP @SenJohnKennedy went in on Sec. Noem for the $220 million media budget for DHS ads “featuring [Noem] prominently” and raising her own profile, as Kennedy put it pic.twitter.com/nMRHYueOuc
— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) March 3, 2026
Lawmakers in both chambers pressed Noem on the issue during hearings earlier this month. She testified that the campaign went through the standard bidding process and rejected claims that it was designed to boost her public image.
She also told Congress that Lewandowski had no role in approving DHS contracts. But Raskin and Neguse pointed to reporting suggesting he may have signed off on multiple agreements.
In their letter, the Democrats highlighted three companies that received portions of the $220 million contract, citing reports that the process may have bypassed normal competitive procedures.
Noem also testified that the campaign had President Donald Trump’s approval, though he later contradicted that claim in an interview with Reuters.
The letter comes as Jordan has already signaled some interest in the issue, telling the New York Post earlier this month that “we’ll take a look at it.” The House Homeland Security Committee is also reviewing the ad campaign.
