Corey Lewandowski

Corey Lewandowski

Image credit: YouTube screenshot

Credentials

Background

Corey Lewandowski is a former campaign manager for Donald Trump’s presidential bid,3Jessica Estepa. “Corey Lewandowski, former Trump campaign manager, joins Vice President Pence’s PAC,” USA Today, May 14, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/PzA5J before being fired in June 2016, reportedly amid infighting with Trump’s family.4Howard Kurtz. “Corey Lewandowski joining Pence team, will focus on midterms and then 2020,” Fox News, May 14, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/aHMUR He is currently a senior advisor to Vice President Mike Pence’s Great America Committee, as of May 2018, moving from the pro-Trump “dark money” non-profit, America First Policies,5Christina Wilkie. “Dark money group America First Policies is running a pro-Trump polling operation. Here is an inside look at its secretive work,” CNBC, March 1, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. which received funding from the gas and electric utility, Southern Company, and Dow Chemical.6Andrew Kaczynski, Chris Massie, Nathan McDermott. “Three companies say they will no longer donate to pro-Trump advocacy group,” CNN, June 4, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Lewandowski is also acting as an unofficial advisor to Ruth Papazian, a Republican candidate planning to challenge New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New Yorker revealed in April 2019.7David Freedlander. “Corey Lewandowski Is Advising a Candidate Planning to Challenge Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” New Yorker, April 12, 2019. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/VGJOp

Before joining Trump’s campaign, Lewandowski was national director of voter registration at Americans for Prosperity, a “free market” thinktank co-founded by David Koch which has promoted climate science denial and lobbied against climate policy in the US. Lewandowski also founded and directed the East Coast and New Hampshire chapters of the organization.8Corey Lewandowski,” SALT. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/3irvt

In 2011, Lewandowski worked with the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council in New Hampshire to repeal a cap-and-trade bill to reduce emissions that formed part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), launched in 2008.9David Anderson. “Koch-funded group mounts cut-and-paste attack on regional climate initiatives,” Grist, March 16, 2011. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/pppRf He told the Wall Street Journal the legislation “does nothing to reduce greenhouse gases because jobs and businesses just move to other states.”10Stephen Moore. “How to Live Freer in New Hampshire,” Wall Street Journal, February 27, 2011. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/35dii Lewandowski also co-wrote an op-ed, published by Fox News, with Phil Kerpen, national vice president for policy at Americans for Prosperity, in which they claimed proceeds from the tax had been “almost completely diverted to special interest giveaways for politically-connected corporations”. They described the RGGI as a “big loser for everyone except the politicians who get to spend the money and the special interests receiving subsidies.”11Phil Kerpen. “One Giant Leap Forward – New Hampshire Smacks Down Cap-and-Trade,” Fox News, February 28, 2011. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/lOst5

Two years before, while employed as a federal lobbyist for Schwartz Communications, a Massachusetts-based PR firm, Lewandowski represented Borrego Solar, a California-based solar company, pushing for solar-friendly government policies, such as landing a “lucrative earmark for the type of solar power project he publicly has criticized as government waste”, Newsweek reported.12Russ Choma. “DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER’S DIAMETRIC DOUBLE LIFE AS A SOLAR POWER LOBBYIST,” Newsweek, March 30, 2016. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/aaV5J

Lewandowski has also directed a number of political consultancies, including Lewandowski Strategic Advisors13Nicholas Confessore, Kenneth P. Vogel. “Trump Loyalist Mixes Businesses and Access at ‘Advisory’ Firm,” New York Times, August 1, 2017. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/zMu1Z and Avenue Strategies,14Shane Goldmacher, Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey, Kenneth P. Vogel. “Trump’s ex-campaign manager starts lobbying firm,” Politico, December 12, 2016. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/qeiE1 whose clients have included Venezuelan state-owned oil company Citgo and tobacco giant Altria (formerly Philip Morris). CNBC reported that Citgo was one of the top donors to Trump’s inaugural committee and was excluded from sanctions against Venezuela in August 2017.15Brian Schwartz. “A lobbying firm founded by former Trump aides has roped in some huge clients like Citgo and Altria, but it has some limits, too,” CNBC, May 14, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/p33oi Avenue Strategies was hired by the company to press the administration on the “potential impact of U.S. energy and foreign policy restrictions on CITGO Petroleum Corporation’s operations and valuation of assets,” according to paperwork the firm filed with Congress.16Timothy Cama, Megan R. Wilson. “Trump exempts Citgo from Venezuela sanctions,” The Hill, August 25, 2017. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/hRe6n

Lewandowski continued to receive payments from the Trump campaign for “strategy consulting” after being fired, paid to another of Lewandowski’s consultancies, Green Monster Consulting.17J.J. Gallagher, John Santucci, Ryan Struyk. “Trump Still Paying Fmr. Campaign Manager Lewandowski as Consultant,” ABC News, September 21, 2016. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/Akqev

Prior to joining Americans for Prosperity, Lewandowski was executive director of the New England Seafood Producers’ Association, a trade association representing the seafood industry.18Corey Lewandowski,” SALT. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/3irvt

Lewandowski also worked as the legislative political director, Northeast Region, for the Republican National Committee (RNC) for a short time19Corey Lewandowski,” SALT. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/3irvt before leaving to run an unsuccessful 2002 reelection campaign for New Hampshire Senator Bob Smith. At the time, Smith caused controversy by claiming that his Republican opponent, an Arab-American, of being anti-Israel.20Ben Schrekinger, Cate Martel. “The man behind Trump’s run,” Politico, July 22, 2017. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/ztqpM

Prior to this, Lewandowski worked as an administrative assistant to Ohio Republican Congressman Bob Ney who was later jailed on corruption charges.21Russ Choma. “DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER’S DIAMETRIC DOUBLE LIFE AS A SOLAR POWER LOBBYIST,” Newsweek, March 30, 2016. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/aaV5J

Lewandowski co-wrote the 2017 book “Let Trump Be Trump: The Inside Story of His Rise to the Presidency” and 2018 book “Trump’s Enemies: How the Deep State Is Undermining the Presidency” with David Bossie, president of the conservative advocacy group Citizens United and former deputy manager of Trump’s presidential campaign. In May 2019, Bossie was accused of using his group the Presidential Coalition to “scam elderly Republican voters for his own financial gain”, largely funneling donations to external consultants and on books authored with Lewandowski, Politico reported. Bossie appeared to receive condemnation from the Trump campaign for “deceptively” using the “President’s name, likeness, trademarks, or branding”.22Corey Lewandowski, David Bossie. “Let Trump Be Trump: The Inside Story of His Rise to the Presidency,” Center Street, December 2017. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/nFEKH 23Corey Lewandowski, David Bossie. “Trump’s Enemies: How the Deep State Is Undermining the Presidency,” Center Street, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/M0f5H

Lewandowski has also been employed as a political commentator by news networks, including CNN24Ben Jacobs. “Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign manager is no stranger to controversy,” Guardian, August 20, 2015. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/qDov3 and Fox News.25Corey R. Lewandowski,” Fox NewsArchived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/MFLyf Lewandowski has previously been a Fox News “Power Player of the Week.”26Corey Lewandowski,” SALT. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/3irvt

In December 2017, Lewandowski was accused of sexual assault by Trump supporter and potential congressional candidate Joy Villa during a gathering at the Trump International Hotel the previous month. In March 2016 he was arrested and charged with simple battery for an altercation involving Michelle Fields, a female Breitbart reporter, after a news conference in Florida. The charges were later dropped.27Ex-Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski accused of sexual assault,” Guardian, December 27, 2017. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/7wZL7

Stance on Climate Change

June 1, 2017

In an opinion article for The Hill entitled “Obama’s Paris climate deal was bad for US workers and American jobs,” Lewandowski wrote:28Corey Lewandowski. “Obama’s Paris climate deal was bad for US workers and American jobs,” The Hill, June 1, 2017. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/VeuiR

“This agreement was a scam that ultimately hurt U.S. economy and worker productivity. Thankfully, President Trump saw through the rhetoric of the climate change alarmists and withdrew America from the Paris agreement, just as he said he would. Keeping his campaign promises will Make America Great Again!”29Corey Lewandowski. “Obama’s Paris climate deal was bad for US workers and American jobs,” The Hill, June 1, 2017. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/VeuiR

The article features a video of Bjorn Lomborg attacking the Paris Agreement, produced by the right-wing, climate science denying organization PragerU, as well as citing reports by the Koch-funded Heritage Foundation and the Competitive Enterprise Institute.30Corey Lewandowski. “Obama’s Paris climate deal was bad for US workers and American jobs,” The Hill, June 1, 2017. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/VeuiR

November 18, 2016

In a Q&A session at the Oxford Union, Lewandowski responded to a question on his views regarding climate science by saying:31Corey Lewandowski | Full Q&A | Oxford Union,” YouTube video uploaded by user OxfordUnion on November 18, 2016. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

“Our campaign did not spend a lot of time focusing on the issue of climate. It was not an issue that was, candidly, at the forefront of the American electorate this cycle, for right or wrong or indifferent. It just wasn’t. And let me be clear, I don’t speak for Donald Trump, I speak for Corey Lewandowski. But having been in the private sector and having the opportunity to have worked with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration… and having the opportunity to speak to some of the government experts out of Boulder Colorado, which is where this is actually housed inside the federal government, I can only tell you that the experts that I have talked to inside the federal government, not in academia, have not provided me compelling evidence that this is happening.

“You can tell me that Al Gore has the movie out that shows the polar ice cap is melting and polar bears aren’t going to survive up there any more and maybe that’s the case and Al Gore won a Nobel Prize or sold Al Jazeera, did something, made a lot of money and grow a beard. I don’t know what he did but it doesn’t matter to me. I think there are a lot of issues with our country and with our world and if climate change is the most important issue I think that’s important but I think what’s important to this administration is making sure that we don’t have a nuclear holocaust because some terrorists in a rogue place in the Middle East get a hold of nuclear materials or weapons-grade plutonium because we did a bad deal and decides [sic] to launch into the neighbours next door and have an unimaginable impact.

“And if that means that climate change occurs and we’ll deal with that, but I think nuclear war is much more significant.”32Corey Lewandowski | Full Q&A | Oxford Union,” YouTube video uploaded by user OxfordUnion on November 18, 2016. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

The answer provoked laughter from the audience and Lewandowski was then asked another question on climate change, specifically whether he believed climate change was a conspiracy invented by the Chinese government, to which he responded: 

“If you want to share with me some compelling data that is not coming out of a left-wing, liberal institution or a liberal media professor, I’ll be happy to look at it… But let me say this, this is not the single biggest issue facing our country… If this was an issue then the American electorate would have been talking about it for the last 18 months and they have not uttered one word about it… Do I believe it’s a scam? Yes I do… I do not believe in global warming.”33Corey Lewandowski | Full Q&A | Oxford Union,” YouTube video uploaded by user OxfordUnion on November 18, 2016. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Key Quotes

July 9, 2019

In an interview with Channel 4 News, Lewandowski said British Prime Minister Theresa May should have recalled Ambassador to the US, Sir Kim Darroch, immediately, adding:34Krishnan Guru-Murthy. “Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski: ‘May should have recalled Darroch immediately’,” Channel 4 News, July 9, 2019. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/CqODh

“…you have an election in two weeks and what you will see is that your country is going to move in a different direction, I believe. That Boris Johnson is going to be the next Prime Minister.”35Krishnan Guru-Murthy. “Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski: ‘May should have recalled Darroch immediately’,” Channel 4 News, July 9, 2019. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/CqODh

August 15, 2018

At a Christian Science Monitor event, Lewandowski said:36Marisa Schultz. “Lewandowski: Bloomberg would give Trump a run for his money in 2020,” New York Post, August 15, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/srpok

“If I were a Democrat strategist… and somebody said to me ‘who do you want to be the Democrat nominee for president of the United States?’ there’s only one name I would choose… and his name is Michael Bloomberg.”37Marisa Schultz. “Lewandowski: Bloomberg would give Trump a run for his money in 2020,” New York Post, August 15, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/srpok

He continued:

“He can write a check for $250 million tomorrow and it’s a rounding error in his bank account… but he’s also an American success story because he didn’t inherit. He built it on his own.”38Marisa Schultz. “Lewandowski: Bloomberg would give Trump a run for his money in 2020,” New York Post, August 15, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/srpok

Key Deeds

June 19, 2018

Lewandowski caused controversy when he responded to news that a 10-year-old girl with Down syndrome who was separated from her mother at the US-Mexico border with the words “womp, womp”.39Erik Wemple. “Corey ‘Womp-Womp’ Lewandowski invited back on Fox News for more nonsense,” Washington Post, June 20, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/w3gi5

May 14 2018

Lewandowski was appointed a senior advisor to Vice President Mike Pence’s Great America political action committee.40Jessica Estepa. “Corey Lewandowski, former Trump campaign manager, joins Vice President Pence’s PAC,” USA Today, May 14, 2018. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/PzA5J

May 12, 2017

Lewandowski founded Lewandowski Strategic Advisors, a political consultancy.41Lewandowski Strategic Advisors LLC,” BloombergArchived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/OtMqw

December 2016

Lewandowski co-founded Avenue Strategies, a political consultancy, with fellow former Trump advisor Barry Bennett.42Shane Goldmacher, Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey, Kenneth P. Vogel. “Trump’s ex-campaign manager starts lobbying firm,” Politico, December 12, 2016. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/qeiE1

March 3, 2016

Lewandowski violated Fox News rules by consulting with Donald Trump during the break in a Republican debate in Detroit, Michigan, refusing to leave the stage when asked to by Fox News staff.43Dylan Byers. “How Donald Trump broke Fox News’ debate rules,” CNN, March 5, 2016. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/ontF5

February 25, 2015

The Washington Post reported that Lewandowski had been asked by Trump to serve as his “senior political adviser and manager for the campaign-in-waiting”.44Robert Costa. “Trump says he is serious about 2016 bid, is hiring staff and delaying TV gig,” Washington Post, February 25, 2015. Archived July 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/wp2Hh

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