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Governor Noem distancing herself from Trump adviser accused of sexual harassment

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem at the Sioux Falls city hall building in June 2020. The state's coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are rising, but Noem has said they are in good shape.
Stephen Groves
/
SDPB
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

Governor Kristi Noem is distancing herself from Trump aide Corey Lewandowski.

He’s accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward a Donald Trump donor at a dinner in Las Vegas over the weekend.

Politico reports Noem was also in attendance.

Noem and Lewandowski were seen several times together during the 2020 presidential campaign.

Noem’s relationship with Lewandowski extends back to at least early 2020. Then, the governor said he was not advising her office.

“I’ve known him for quite some time,” Noem said. “Obviously he worked on the president’s campaign in 2016 and then … no. Just an acquaintance. Someone we’ve worked with and had friendships with."

The governor’s communications director, Ian Fury, says, “Corey was always a volunteer, never paid a dime (campaign or official)."

Fury says Lewandowski will no longer advise the governor in regard to politics or official duties.

Lee Strubinger is SDPB’s Rapid City-based news and political reporter. A former reporter for Fort Lupton Press (CO) and Colorado Public Radio, Lee holds a master’s in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield.
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