国土安全部监察长已将其对前“特别政府雇员”科里·卢万多夫斯基的调查移交司法部，一位知情人士透露了这一消息。
The Department of Homeland Security inspector general has referred to the Justice Department its investigation into former “special government employee” Corey Lewandowski, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
国土安全部的调查源于关于一份价值2.2亿美元的广告宣传活动合同如何被授予的问题，该活动由时任国土安全部部长克里斯蒂·诺姆出镜。现任国土安全部部长马克韦恩·马林在3月的参议院确认听证会上作证称，该部门的监察长正在调查这份合同。据一位知情人士透露，在NBC新闻报道卢万多夫斯基涉嫌寻求报酬以换取保护和扩大GEO集团利益后，调查范围随之扩大，而GEO集团当时正在寻求与该广告活动无关的政府合同。
The DHS investigation stems from questions about how a $220 million contract for an advertising campaign featuring then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was awarded. At his Senate confirmation hearing, now-Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified in March that the department’s inspector general was looking into the contract. That investigation then expanded, according to a source familiar with the matter, after NBC News reported that Lewandowski had allegedly sought payment in exchange for protecting and growing the interests of a company, GEO Group, which was seeking government contracts unrelated to the ad campaign.
针对NBC新闻的询问，卢万多夫斯基的律师亚当·特里格周四表示：“卢万多夫斯基先生未被司法部就任何调查联系过，他否认在自豪地以志愿者身份为国家服务期间有任何不当行为。”《华尔街日报》最先报道了司法部正在审查这些指控。
In response to an inquiry from NBC News, Adam Trigg, an attorney for Lewandowski, said Thursday, “Mr. Lewandowski has not been contacted by the Justice Department regarding any investigation, and he denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity.”The Wall Street Journal was first to report the allegations being under review by the Justice Department.
消息人士此前向NBC新闻描述了GEO集团与卢万多夫斯基之间的两次会面，称他在会上要求公司支付报酬，一位消息人士称他想要一笔“成功费用”。GEO集团拒绝了他的要求。卢万多夫斯基的一位发言人在3月否认了关于他与GEO集团互动的这一说法。“这绝对是假的，从未发生过——卢万多夫斯基先生从未在任何时候向GEO集团要求过任何付款或补偿，”他的代表表示。
Sources previously described to NBC News two meetings between GEO Group and Lewandowski in which he asked for the company to pay him, with one source saying he wanted a “success fee.”GEO Group declined his requests. A spokesperson for Lewandowski in March denied that account of his interactions with GEO Group. “This is absolutely false and did not happen — Mr. Lewandowski never demanded any payment or compensation from the Geo Group, at any time,” his representative said.
在被唐纳德·特朗普总统解职之前，诺姆曾公开承认是她个人批准了这份昂贵的广告活动合同，但表示总统知晓她参与了审批。
Before she was fired by President Donald Trump, Noem publicly admitted that she’d personally approved the pricey contracts for the ad campaign but said that the president was aware of her involvement in their approval.
诺姆被解职后，特朗普对NBC新闻表示：“我对此并不满意。我竞选总统花的钱都比那少。我对此不知情。”卢万多夫斯基曾是诺姆的高级助手，在她离任后也离开了国土安全部。关于卢万多夫斯基涉嫌向与国土安全部有业务往来的公司索要报酬的报道，是在诺姆被解职、以及卢万多夫斯基（此前曾是特朗普的高级顾问兼2016年竞选活动首任经理）离开该部门之后才出现的。
After Noem’s ouster, Trump told NBC News: “I wasn’t thrilled with it. I spent less money than that to become president. I didn’t know about it.”Lewandowski was a top aide to Noem who departed DHS after she left. Reporting about Lewandowski’s alleged requests for payment from companies with business before DHS emerged only after Noem was fired and after Lewandowski, who was previously a top Trump adviser and the first manager of his 2016 campaign, left the department.
在她被解职前几周，诺姆还因试图为她领导的部门采购一架价值7000万美元的豪华喷气式飞机而受到审视。周四被问及将卢万多夫斯基的案件移交司法部一事，特朗普表示：“我听说过一点，但不清楚具体情况。我只知道我希望我的人诚实，如果他们不诚实，就必须被起诉。”他补充道：“我绝不会做任何事来阻止对不诚实之人的起诉。”
Weeks before she was fired, Noem also faced scrutiny for her attempts to procure a $70 million luxury jet for the department she led. Asked about the referral of Lewandowski’s case to the Justice Department, Trump on Thursday said: “I heard something about it, but I don’t know exactly what it is. 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.”“I will never do anything to stop the prosecution of someone who’s dishonest,” he added.