Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faces fresh scrutiny after allegedly posting an unauthorized press release with fake State Department letterhead to explain her departure from another role in President Donald Trump’s administration. The accusation comes as her report ed boyfriend and former top adviser, Corey Lewandowski, faces a rare investigation by Trump’s Justice Department over allegations that he used his position at Homeland Security to enrich himself. The State Department announced that Noem’s time as special envoy to the president’s Shield of the Americas security initiative had ended. But Noem quickly shared a release on X on Oct. 16 claiming the role was “always a six-month appointment.” NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 08: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference at One World Trade Center on January 08, 2026 in New York City. Following yesterday’s fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent during a confrontation in Minneapolis, Noem addressed the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration enforcement efforts in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) The statement, bearing State Department letterhead, also said she would remain at the agency as a senior adviser. Now, a person familiar with her work at the department alleges that Noem put out the release without authorization. Google Rejects Trump’s Bid to Slap His Name on an Ocean—Then He Fumbles Basic Geography in Rant Kristi Noem’s Wild DHS Ad Scheme Unraveled and Put Her on the Curb, But the Real Story Is the $23 Million Side Hustle Hiding Inside It “This was not a press release put out by the State Department,” the person told Politico’s Eric Bazail-Eimil. “Noem went rogue and created a fake letterhead to post on X.” The Independent reported that it contacted the State Department for comment on the authenticity of the release. Trump gave Noem the envoy position after firing her as Homeland Security secretary in March. The move placed her within the State Department to work on the new security alliance focused on the Western Hemisphere. When asked about Noem’s departure from the envoy role, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told NewsNation she was still with the agency. “We’ve seen the secretary’s time as envoy expire,” he said, according to The Independent. “She continues to be at the State Department as a senior adviser.” The latest controversy puts Noem back under the spotlight just as investigators examine her former adviser’s role in awarding Homeland Security contracts. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the Lewandowski probe follows a DHS inspector general referral. The criminal investigation centers on whether contracts awarded during Noem’s tenure involved fraud. Lewandowski was Noem’s top adviser while serving in an unpaid role as a “Special Government Employee.” The designation generally covers temporary workers appointed to provide outside expertise, advice, or consulting for no more than 130 days during any given year. But during his time in the role, Lewandowski helped sign specific agreements, according to The Independent. He also approved nearly all DHS funding decisions exceeding $100,000, putting him at the center of how the department awarded contracts and selected recipients. The WSJ also reported that Lewandowski used his role at DHS to reach out to Middle Eastern officials about consulting work. A representative for Lewandowski denied the allegations. “He denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity,” the representative told the Journal. The representative also said the Justice Department had not contacted Lewandowski regarding any investigation. Reporters asked Trump about the DOJ’s Lewandowski probe on Thursday, outside the White House. Trump then contradicted himself while trying to answer the question, first saying he didn’t know anything about it. “No, I don’t know about it. I mean, I heard something about it, but I don’t know exactly what it is,” he insisted. “All I know is, I want my people to be honest, and if they’re not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted,” Trump asserted. “I view it as if people are not honest; they’re stealing from me as president; they’re stealing from me,” Trump repeated. “And if they’re not honest, I’ll have my DOJ go and do whatever they have to do,” Trump added. The investigation also renewed calls for scrutiny of Noem’s leadership at Homeland Security. “We’ve long known Corrupt Corey is shady, which is exactly why I asked Kristi Noem about his role as a ‘special government employee’ back in March,” Democratic congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove wrote in a post on social media. “It’s past time for him AND Kristi to be held accountable for ripping off the American people,” she demanded. Noem lost her job after claiming Trump knew about a $220 million anti-immigrant ad campaign featuring the former secretary. She quickly awarded millions of dollars in no-bid contracts to conservative allies, according to a congressional investigation and Noem’s critics. One company received one of two contracts for the commercial just days after its creation. During congressional testimony in March, Noem told lawmakers Trump had approved the campaign. Trump quickly denied her account before publicly firing her on social media. Lewandowski also lost his job when Noem departed at the end of March. During those same congressional hearings, Noem flat-out denied that she was having an affair with Lewandowski. Both were married at the time. Noem filed for divorce from her longtime husband, Bryon Noem, last month, adding another development to a turbulent stretch that has now followed her from Homeland Security to the State Department. Trump on Corey Lewandowski possibly being under investigation: "I view it as if people aren't honest, they're stealing from me … I guess I could stop anything. I have no idea what he did." pic.twitter.com/89x9ULvuYS— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 22, 2026 ‘Corrupt’: Kristi Noem Accused of Faking Letterhead to Save Face as Her Rumored Beau Faces the Feds  ...read more read less