Noem denies conservative site’s report on affair with Lewandowski: ‘A disgusting lie’

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) on Wednesday denied a report from a conservative media outlet alleging she’s having an extramarital affair with Corey Lewandowski, an aide to former President Trump who is also advising Noem.

“These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie. These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can’t achieve anything without a man’s help,” the governor tweeted. “I love Bryon. I’m proud of the God-fearing family we’ve raised together. Now I’m getting back to work.”

These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie. These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can’t achieve anything without a man’s help.

I love Bryon. I’m proud of the God-fearing family we’ve raised together. Now I’m getting back to work

— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) September 29, 2021

The rebuke came after the conservative website American Greatness put out an article alleging Noem and Lewandowski are carrying on a romantic relationship. The report cited “multiple” sources, with one saying members of Congress have called the affair an “open secret,” though none of the sources were identified. 

The report and Noem’s response come as the South Dakota governor faces scrutiny at home over a meeting she put together with a state employee who denied her daughter’s application to become a certified real estate appraiser, a move that prompted allegations of abuse of power.

Sherry Bren, the chief of the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation’s appraiser certification program, Bren’s boss, and South Dakota Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman (R) were all included in the meeting, as was Noem’s daughter. Bren later alleged that she was pressured to retire, and South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg (R) has since said he’s looking into the matter.

Noem is believed to be eyeing a presidential run in 2024, though headlines have recently been dominated by two other GOP governors: Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas. Trump, too, is looking at a third White House campaign and would likely clear much of the primary field if he ultimately jumps into the race.

The conservative outlet’s report also comes the same day that Politico reported that a GOP donor is accusing Lewandowski of sexually harassing her at a charity event in Las Vegas last weekend, including by grabbing her behind, making sexually suggestive comments and following her throughout the night. A lawyer for Trashelle Odom, the donor, said that “we are exploring our legal options.”