[14][15] In 1999, while working for Ney, Lewandowski brought a loaded handgun in a laundry bag into the Longworth House Office Building.

[17] The charges eventually were dismissed; Lewandowski then unsuccessfully fought for four years to get the gun back, filing lawsuits in multiple District of Columbia and federal courts.

[25][26] From 2004 to 2012, Lewandowski worked for Schwartz MSL, a strategic communication and engagement firm where, according to his LinkedIn profile, he served as director of public affairs from September 2004 until July 2012.

Lewandowski was registered as a lobbyist for Schwartz MSL on behalf of Passport Systems in 2011, lobbying on homeland security issues.

[26][27] Lewandowski's period working for Americans for Prosperity overlapped with his tenure as a marine patrol officer trainee and registered federal lobbyist.

[33] When Lewandowski was hired, Trump's political staff consisted of three people: his lawyer Michael D. Cohen, veteran operative Roger Stone, and aide Sam Nunberg.

"[35] Nunberg was dismissed in August 2015;[36] he believes that it was Lewandowski and campaign press secretary Hope Hicks who asked Trump for his ouster.

[41][42][43] On March 29, Lewandowski was charged with one count of simple battery by the Jupiter Police Department and surrendered himself to the authorities, after releasing a statement maintaining his innocence.

[54][55] On the morning of June 20, 2016, the Trump campaign was served with a legal complaint from its North Carolina Digital Director, Vincent Bordini.

"[58][59] The move occurred after Lewandowski clashed with Trump chief strategist and campaign chairman Paul Manafort in an internal "power struggle.

[62][63][64] In April 2018, Lewandowski was interviewed as part of the special counsel investigation with regard to whether Trump had committed obstruction of justice, where he recounted the events above.

[65] In February 2019, Lewandowski was interviewed by MSNBC, where he said: "I don't ever remember the president ever asking me to get involved with Jeff Sessions or the Department of Justice in any way, shape or form ever.

[69] Lewandowski remains subject to a non-disclosure agreement that he signed with Trump, forbidding him "from making disparaging or revealing remarks about the candidate.

During an appearance on CNN's State of the Union with Brianna Keilar, Lewandowski denied allegations of antisemitism and said that criticism of the tweet was "political correctness run amok.

"[72][73] In an August 2016 appearance on CNN, Lewandowski espoused the "birther" conspiracy theory, suggesting that President Barack Obama was not a natural-born-citizen of the United States.

[82] However, he was criticized by "competing lobbyists and ethics watchdogs" for "flouting the spirit of the lobbying rules, and abusing his access to the Trump White House".

[80] On May 3, 2017, Public Citizen, a "government-ethics group, asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether Lewandowski should have registered as a foreign or domestic lobbyist".

East West solicited "business in Eastern Europe and elsewhere by offering access to Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other top administration officials".

[85] In 2018, Lewandowski and Jill Kelley, a former U.S. diplomatic and national security advisor, had a meeting with the Polish government to set up a U.S. military base in Poland, called "Fort Trump," with Poland paying for all the costs, to improve their national security and gain better relations with the U.S. military and Trump administration.

When Petkanas mentioned a case of a 10-year-old immigrant girl with Down syndrome who had been forcibly taken away from her mother under the Trump administration family separation policy and allegedly put in a cage, Lewandowski responded "womp, womp" (an onomatopoeia for the "sad trombone" sound effect that often accompanies a comedic failure), which angered Petkanas and received widespread criticism from various sources.

"[88][90] Appearing on Fox News on June 20, Lewandowski declined to apologize for the remark and instead reiterated his belief that undocumented aliens are criminals who should be held accountable.

[91] On June 20, 2018, Lewandowski was dropped by Leading Authorities, Inc., a speakers bureau based in Washington D.C.[92] On June 27, 2018, Lewandowski revisited the topic of the 10-year-old immigrant on CNN, asserting, contrary to the available evidence, that the "10-year-old that was separated at the border was separated because her mother was a member—or a potential member—of a child-smuggling ring.” However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said she was a "material witness", not being charged with illegal entry.

[98] This announcement closely followed a report of ongoing attempts by the Republican National Committee to draft Lewandowski to seek the seat.

[100] On August 18, Lewandowski said in an interview on WNYM, a New York-based conservative talk radio station, that he was still considering a run and added that "if I get into this race, I’m going to win.

[104] On August 15, 2024, Lewandowski and four others were named as senior advisers to the Trump campaign, after his influence increased following his work earlier in the year at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

[106] On October 7, 2024, The Guardian reported that Lewandowski had been told to focus on being a surrogate in New Hampshire after effectively losing an internal power struggle for control of the campaign.

"[111] In 2018, Lewandowski featured in Sacha Baron Cohen's prank comedy series Who Is America?, discussing the presidency and views of Donald Trump with Baron Cohen's alter-ego, conspiracy theorist Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr. During that interview, Lewandowski suggested that one "had to respect" white supremacists while discussing the racist and violent 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

[112] In September 2021, Lewandowski was removed from his role as chairman of a super PAC called Make America Great Again Action after reports of sexual harassment accusations from a donor.

[113][114] That same month, conservative media outlet American Greatness reported that Lewandowski was having an extramarital affair with South Dakota governor Kristi Noem, for whom he had long been a political advisor.

Noem called the report a "disgusting lie", saying, "these old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can't achieve anything without a man's help.