President Donald Trump delivered a pointed warning to members of his own administration Thursday, declaring that anyone caught engaging in dishonest or corrupt conduct should face prosecution — even if that person is a longtime political ally.

The president’s remarks came as questions intensified over a reported Justice Department investigation involving Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager and a longtime Republican political operative who previously held an influential advisory position at the Department of Homeland Security.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump acknowledged hearing about the allegations surrounding Lewandowski but insisted he did not know the details.

What he made clear, however, was that personal loyalty would not shield administration officials from prosecution if wrongdoing were established.

“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,” Trump said.

“I view it as if people are not honest, they’re stealing from me as president, they’re stealing from me. So I want my people to be honest, and if they’re not honest, I’ll have my DOJ go and do whatever they have to do.”

The remarks followed reports that federal prosecutors are reviewing allegations that Lewandowski may have improperly used his position at Homeland Security to pursue personal financial benefits.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department received a criminal referral from the DHS inspector general following an examination of Lewandowski’s involvement in government contracting decisions.

Investigators are reportedly examining whether Lewandowski attempted to profit from his government connections, including through relationships with federal contractors and foreign officials.

The allegations have not resulted in publicly announced criminal charges, and Lewandowski has denied wrongdoing.

Nevertheless, the reported investigation has renewed scrutiny of the unusual influence Lewandowski exercised inside one of the federal government’s largest departments.

Lewandowski served as a special government employee under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Although his advisory position was unpaid, he reportedly played a substantial role in departmental operations and decisions involving federal spending.

Questions about the extent of that authority became a source of controversy earlier this year.

In March, ProPublica reported that internal DHS records showed Lewandowski approving government contracts despite Noem previously telling lawmakers that he did not possess such authority.

Those revelations intensified congressional scrutiny of the department and raised questions about the relationship between Lewandowski’s advisory responsibilities and government contracting decisions.

The controversy unfolded alongside broader concerns surrounding Noem’s leadership, including scrutiny of a $220 million advertising campaign and other departmental expenditures.

Trump ultimately removed Noem from her position in March, and Lewandowski departed the department around the same time.

The reported criminal referral now places additional attention on Lewandowski’s activities during his tenure at DHS.

Federal investigators are reportedly examining whether his involvement in contracting decisions crossed legal boundaries or created opportunities for improper financial gain.

Lewandowski’s attorney, Adam Trigg, pushed back against the allegations Thursday.

Trigg said his client had not been contacted by Justice Department investigators and maintained that Lewandowski had served the country honorably in a voluntary government role.

No charges against Lewandowski had been announced as of Thursday’s reports, and the existence of a criminal referral does not establish that a crime occurred.

Trump, meanwhile, declined to speculate about whether his longtime associate had done anything improper.

“I have no idea what he did,” the president told reporters.

But Trump emphasized that he expects officials serving in his administration to be “100% honest.”

The president was also asked whether he would intervene to prevent a potential prosecution involving someone with longstanding ties to his political operation.

His response was unequivocal.

“If he’s honest, that’s good. If he’s not honest, you have to pay a price,” Trump said. “So I will never do anything to stop a prosecution if somebody is dishonest.”

The statement is particularly notable given Lewandowski’s long history with Trump.

Lewandowski served as Trump’s first campaign manager during the 2016 presidential race and has remained a familiar figure in the president’s political orbit.

His relationship with Trump made him one of the administration’s more recognizable political allies, even when he was serving outside a traditional Cabinet or Senate-confirmed position.

That history adds another dimension to the reported investigation, with prosecutors examining allegations involving an individual who has maintained access to some of the highest levels of Republican politics.

Trump’s public comments also establish a clear position on how he says the Justice Department should handle allegations involving administration insiders.

Rather than defending Lewandowski or dismissing the investigation, the president said prosecutors should be allowed to pursue wrongdoing if the evidence warrants it.

Whether federal investigators ultimately determine that Lewandowski violated the law remains unresolved.

The reported inquiry is still under examination, and Lewandowski has not been convicted of or publicly charged with any offense connected to the allegations.

For now, the investigation has placed a longtime Trump ally under renewed scrutiny while drawing an unusually direct statement from the president about accountability inside his own administration.

Trump’s message was unmistakable: Political connections and personal loyalty should offer no protection if an administration official is found to have acted dishonestly.

And when asked whether he would stand in the way of a prosecution involving one of his own allies, the president publicly declared that he would not.

A dangerous flesh-eating parasite has been confirmed in Texas wildlife, prompting state and federal authorities to expand surveillance and issue a warning to hunters, ranchers and landowners as concerns grow over the pest’s potential impact on American livestock.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced October 21 that New World screwworm had been detected in a female elk harvested by a hunter in Pecos County.

Federal officials identified the discovery as the first confirmed case involving U.S. wildlife during the current outbreak, marking a significant development in efforts to prevent the parasite from spreading.

The infestation was confirmed after samples collected from the animal underwent laboratory testing in Kerrville, Texas.

The discovery comes after earlier infestations were detected in domestic animals, raising additional concerns about the parasite’s presence in wildlife populations.

The Texas Animal Health Commission is now modifying an existing infested zone in response to the finding, while federal agriculture officials and state wildlife personnel expand surveillance throughout the surrounding area.

Authorities are also urging hunters and property owners to watch for signs of infestation and report suspicious cases immediately.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife Division Director Alan Cain credited cooperation among hunters, landowners and wildlife biologists for helping authorities identify the infestation.

“We encourage all hunters and landowners to be vigilant,” Cain said.

The warning comes as hunting activity increases across Texas, potentially giving officials additional opportunities to detect infected animals before the parasite spreads further.

New World screwworm is not an ordinary worm. It is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living flesh of warm-blooded animals.

Unlike many fly larvae that consume dead or decaying tissue, screwworm larvae burrow into wounds and feed on living tissue, causing extensive damage.

As the larvae continue feeding, wounds can become progressively larger and deeper, potentially resulting in severe infections, tissue destruction and death if the infestation is not treated.

The parasite can affect cattle, horses, sheep, wildlife and household pets. Human infestations are also possible, although federal health officials say they are rare.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, adult New World screwworm flies are approximately the size of common houseflies, sometimes slightly larger.

They typically have orange eyes, metallic blue or green bodies and three dark stripes along their backs.

However, agriculture officials caution that identifying individual flies can be difficult because several species have similar appearances.

Some flies encountered outdoors may also be sterile insects intentionally released by authorities as part of efforts to control the outbreak.

Instead, officials are encouraging hunters and livestock owners to focus on identifying symptoms in animals.

Warning signs include visible maggots inside wounds, foul odors, unusual irritation, frequent head shaking and wounds that continue to drain or expand.

Infected animals may also lose their appetite, become unusually withdrawn or separate themselves from other animals.

Authorities are urging hunters to carefully inspect harvested animals before field dressing them or transporting carcasses.

The latest discovery follows an earlier confirmation involving livestock in Texas.

On June 3, federal officials confirmed a New World screwworm infestation in a calf in Zavala County, establishing that the parasite had already reached domestic animals during the current outbreak.

The subsequent discovery in a wild elk adds another challenge for authorities attempting to track and contain the pest.

The USDA considers New World screwworm a serious threat to livestock production, agricultural operations and the nation’s food supply.

Widespread infestations could result in significant animal losses and impose substantial costs on ranchers and other livestock producers.

Federal officials are responding through expanded surveillance, cooperation with state agencies and a long-established eradication technique involving the release of sterile male flies.

The method works by interrupting the parasite’s reproductive cycle.

Female New World screwworm flies typically mate only once. When they mate with sterile males released by authorities, their eggs do not hatch.

Over time, the resulting reduction in successful reproduction can dramatically decrease the parasite population.

The technique played a central role in eliminating New World screwworm from the United States in 1966.

It was also successfully deployed against an outbreak in the Florida Keys in 2017.

Agriculture officials continue adjusting surveillance operations and sterile-fly release patterns in response to new detections.

Despite the alarming nature of the parasite, federal health authorities emphasize that the risk to people in the United States remains very low.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports no locally acquired human infestations in the country during the current outbreak, according to the information provided in the original report.

Nevertheless, the agency advises prompt medical attention for anyone who suspects an infestation.

The latest Texas detection underscores why officials are treating the situation seriously even as the immediate public health risk remains limited.

New World screwworm can spread through animal populations, and infestations that go undetected may allow the parasite to establish itself in additional areas.

For that reason, state and federal authorities are relying heavily on cooperation from hunters, ranchers, veterinarians and landowners to identify potential cases.

The discovery in Pecos County now gives investigators another confirmed location to examine as they work to determine the parasite’s distribution and prevent additional infestations.

With a flesh-eating parasite now confirmed in Texas wildlife, officials are urging residents to remain alert, inspect animals for suspicious wounds and immediately report signs of infestation before the pest gains a stronger foothold.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is facing renewed scrutiny after delivering an unexpected response during a television interview about longstanding allegations involving her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi.

During an appearance on MS NOW with host Chris Hayes, the Minnesota Democrat was directly questioned about claims that Elmi, whom she legally married in 2009, was actually her brother.

Omar has repeatedly rejected the allegation, previously describing it as a “disgusting lie.”

But when Hayes pressed her to confirm that she and Elmi were not related, her response drew attention.

“Not to my knowledge.”

Ilhan Omar denies that she married her brother: “Not to my knowledge.” https://t.co/uxRq3i08zP

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) October 22, 2026

The exchange came after Hayes asked Omar to explain the origins of the allegation, identify her former husband and address whether there was any factual basis for the claims.

Omar maintained that the accusation originated on a Somali online forum before spreading through Minneapolis political circles.

She said individuals later claimed she had introduced Elmi as her brother, an assertion she described as “insane.”

The congresswoman insisted that she did not know the people making those claims.

Hayes then attempted to clarify the issue, asking whether Omar was related to Elmi in any way and whether there was “not some weird kernel of truth” behind the allegations.

Rather than simply repeating her previous denial, Omar answered, “Not to my knowledge.”

The remark has become a focal point of the controversy, although it does not establish that Omar and Elmi are related or that any wrongdoing occurred.

Questions surrounding Omar’s marital history have followed the congresswoman for years.

According to her own account, Omar entered a faith-based marriage with Ahmed Hirsi, the father of her children, in 2002. That marriage was not legally formalized.

In 2009, she legally married Elmi, a British citizen of Somali descent.

Omar has stated that she and Elmi separated through a faith-based process in 2011, although their legal divorce was not finalized until 2017.

She has also said she reconciled with Hirsi before legally marrying him in 2018.

That marriage ended in divorce in 2020, the same year Omar married her current husband, political consultant Tim Mynett.

The complicated timeline has fueled years of public questions about her marital relationships, although the allegations that she married a sibling remain unproven.

According to the supplied report, Elmi previously submitted an application for a marriage-based green card that was subsequently withdrawn after immigration authorities requested additional supporting evidence.

The interview also comes amid reports of a federal investigation examining Omar’s immigration history.

According to those reports, Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant at Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence on October 12.

Investigators reportedly removed several items, including a cellphone, computers, notebooks and a passport.

The reported investigation concerns possible false statements and immigration fraud, including questions about citizenship paperwork submitted around 2000 and whether Omar or her late father misrepresented her age.

Investigators have also reportedly obtained DNA material, although no public laboratory findings establishing a familial relationship between Omar and Elmi have been released.

Another development described in the report involves a Department of Justice court filing responding to requests from news organizations and Judicial Watch to unseal materials connected to the search warrant.

The filing reportedly identified the subject as “Congresswoman Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.”

The report states that the name “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi” was associated with Omar’s 2009 marriage to Elmi, while “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” appeared as an alias.

The use of those names in a legal filing does not, by itself, establish that the congresswoman committed fraud or that the allegations about her former husband’s identity are true.

Federal prosecutors reportedly requested additional time to respond to the applications seeking disclosure of the warrant materials, explaining that the warrant had not yet been fully executed.

A federal magistrate judge had also reportedly imposed restrictions on certain aspects of the search because of Omar’s status as a sitting member of Congress.

Despite the reported investigation and renewed attention surrounding her interview, no criminal charges had been filed against Omar at the time of the original report.

The allegations involving her former husband remain disputed, and no publicly disclosed DNA findings have established that the two are siblings.

Nevertheless, the interview has brought fresh attention to a controversy Omar has spent years attempting to put behind her.

At the center of the renewed scrutiny is one brief exchange: When directly asked whether she was related to the man she married in 2009, Omar answered, “Not to my knowledge.”

Whether additional evidence emerges to resolve the longstanding allegations remains an open question.