Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced a turbulent six-hour hearing before the House Judiciary Committee as Democrats pivoted from policy critiques to personal allegations.
The 4 March 2026 session, ostensibly focused on the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) immigration crackdown, was overshadowed by sharp exchanges regarding Noem's relationship with top adviser Corey Lewandowski. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) directly asked Noem, under oath, if she had 'sexual relations' with Lewandowski during her tenure. Noem avoided a direct 'no,' dismissing the inquiry as 'tabloid garbage' and accusing the committee of sexism.
Her husband, Bryon Noem, sat stone-faced behind her in the Rayburn House Office Building until he slipped out for a flight, just as the questions turned personal.
The hearing took place amidst a partial government shutdown and a brewing federal investigation into Noem's characterisation of two protesters killed in Minneapolis as 'domestic terrorists.'
Whispers aboutNoem and Lewandowski have dogged her since she took thehelm of DHS under President Trump last year. Lewandowski, the Trump loyalist who managed his 2016 campaign and advised Noem during her South Dakota governorship, now operates as a special government employee at DHS, pulling strings on everything from contracts to immigration ops despite his part-time status.
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a California Democrat, wasted no time. 'At any time during your tenure as director of the Department of Homeland Security, have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?' she fired off, citing tabloid reports and conflict-of-interest worries.
Noem's eyes narrowed. 'Mr Chairman, I am shocked we're going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee today,' she shot back at Rep. Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican chairing the session. She stressed Lewandowski's White House role, 'there are thousands of them in the federal government,' but never uttered a flat 'no.'
Kamlager-Dove pressed harder. 'You should be able to answer if someone asks if you or any federal official is sleeping with their subordinate. It's the easiest. You should be wanting to answer that question.'
Noem dug in: 'It is garbage.' The congresswoman framed it bigger, judgement calls, potential conflicts, even national security risks amid DHS's high-stakes immigration push.
Lewandowski's shadow looms large here. The 49-year-old strategist, married to Alison Hardy since 2005, boasts a rocky past: manhandling a Breitbart reporter in 2016, sexual harassment claims, and dodgy lobbying gigs.
Source: International Business Times UK
