Democrats’ Probe Into Noem, Lewandowski, Hones in on Pro-Trump Donor’s Contracts

Five companies were together awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracts from the Department of Homeland Security during Kristi Noem’s tenure. They all appear linked to one man who is now a focus of congressional Democrats’ investigation into Noem.

Congressional Democrats are investigating the pay-to-play allegations roiling the former Homeland Security secretary and her close adviser, Corey Lewandowski. That investigation has zeroed in on how William Walters, a former State Department employee, landed lucrative deals to help with President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, among other things, according to a letter Rep. Robert Garcia sent Walters Thursday.

Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, is demanding Walters answer questions about whether his companies paid Lewandowski in return for “favorable treatment” in the DHS contracting process, according to a letter shared exclusively with NOTUS. Walters has been cited as a pro-Trump donor; he donated $10,000 in 2024 to a super PAC affiliated with Noem. The Washington Post reported that Walters also donated to pro-Trump group America First Policy Institute.

In 2025, several companies affiliated with Walters — which had never before worked with the federal government on immigration — received large and lucrative contracts, including one worth up to nearly $1 billion.

Some of the contracts were for services only loosely tied to immigration itself, chief among them a lease for a luxury jet used by Noem and Lewandowski. The Wall Street Journal first reported the pair’s use of the jet.

Valkyrie Aviation Holdings Group, which shares an address with other companies tied to Walters, leased a luxury jet for Noem and Lewandowski’s personal use, Garcia’s letter says.

It’s not clear from publicly disclosed documents how much the lease for the luxury jet cost. The White House approved DHS to spend $205 million on “border security executive travel,” including for “leasing jets,” according to the Office of Management and Budget’s apportionments database, reviewed by NOTUS.

The size of that budget was only made public on March 27 and has not been previously reported.

The $205 million came out of the $10 billion pot of money congressional Republicans gave DHS with nearly zero restrictions during their reconciliation process, according to the OMB documentation.

Walters did not respond to a request for comment.

The letter primarily focuses on Salus Worldwide Solutions, which lists Walters as the CEO. Garcia’s letter claims Salus was “allegedly directing subcontractors to funnel taxpayer dollars to consultants affiliated with Mr. Lewandowski.”

“Former Secretary Noem and Mr. Lewandowski also awarded lucrative DHS contracts under opaque contracting conditions to other companies for which you are listed as an executive officer, or which share the same addresses as companies founded by you and your associates,” the letter reads.

Garcia is requesting Walters give the committee a list of documents, including all records pertaining to Salus and its work with the administration and any subcontractors it used, by April 16.

Lewandowski has denied personally benefiting from any of the companies tied to Walters.

“Mr. Lewandowski has never done business with or been compensated by the companies referred in any way, shape or form,” Lewandowski’s office told NOTUS in a statement.

Garcia is also asking Walters to answer a list of questions about his relationship with Lewandowski.

“Oversight Democrats are focused on identifying every suspicious contract and demanding answers from the companies involved. We will not stop until this corruption is fully exposed and those responsible are held accountable,” Garcia said in a statement.