Corey Lewandowski, former campaign manager for President Donald Trump, is working with a lobbying firm hired by T-Mobile, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal’s Julie Bykowicz.
The Journal reports that Lewandowski has provided advice to T-Mobile on various topics, including the wireless carrier’s efforts to merge with Sprint, which will require federal regulatory approval, as part of his work with Turnberry Solutions.
Update: T-Mobile denies entering into a contract with Lewandowski or paying him for consulting services. The carrier provided GeekWire with the following statement:
Given the scope and complexity of our business, our Government Affairs team works with a number of political consulting firms to help navigate the numerous federal government and regulatory matters that are relevant to us. This list of agencies, which is publicly available, includes Turnberry Solutions which we hired last August. Corey Lewandowski is now affiliated with that firm and they have offered perspective to T-Mobile on a variety of topics, including the pending transaction.
T-Mobile hired Turnberry Solutions last year. Lewandowski works and shares office space on Capitol Hill with the firm, though the extent of his affiliation with Turnberry is unclear, The Journal reports.
Lewandowski and Turnberry Solutions jointly agreed to facilitate a dialogue between the Trump administration and T-Mobile, according to documents viewed by WSJ. Lewandowski has not registered as a lobbyist.
In April, T-Mobile announced plans to merge with Sprint after years of on-again, off-again talks. The two wireless carriers expect the merger to close by the first half of 2019, assuming they get regulatory approval.
The WSJ report is the latest example of telecom companies trying to understand the Trump administration by hiring people close to the president. AT&T paid Trump attorney Michael Cohen $600,000 to help the wireless carrier gain insights into the administration as it tries to merge with Time Warner. That deal is awaiting a decision by a federal judge because the Justice Department opposed it.
