Kristi Noem’s 'hatchet man' axed as DHS left embroiled in 'power struggle': report

The Department of Homeland Security has become embroiled in a "power struggle" following the ouster of Secretary Kristi Noem, according to a new report from The Daily Beast, with sources indicating that an employee dubbed her "hatchet man" had been ousted.

Donald Trump announced last week that Noem was being removed from her post as DHS secretary, amid reports that he was furious with her for claiming that he signed off on a $220 million ad campaign. She will depart the role by the end of March, and the president has nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her.

In the meantime, The Daily Beast reported on Thursday that a notable Noem loyalist, Deputy CBP Commissioner Joseph Mazzara, had been "escorted" out of DHS after an alleged effort to force out one of the outgoing secretary's internal enemies, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. Sources within the agency called Mazzara, who had no prior law enforcement experience and was hired only three months ago, a "henchman" for Noem and her "special government employee" Corey Lewandowski.

"Mazzara, who is an attorney with no history of law enforcement, was appointed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Deputy Commissioner less than three months ago by Noem’s chief aide and rumored lover, Lewandowski, in an apparent attempt to undermine and force out CBP’s long-serving Commissioner Rodney Scott," the report detailed. "It didn’t work."

Sources indicated that the directive to fire Mazzara came from Trump himself, with his office being "emptied" as he "was walked out of the building" on Wednesday.

"Mazzara was very much in the Noem camp, and Rodney Scott can’t stand him," one source from CBP told the outlet. "So perhaps Scott was able to get him booted. With Noem gone, Scott was able to fire him. He had the opening and he took it.”

Mazzara's appointment was announced via a memo circulated around DHS in late December. It instructed staffers to direct claims that would have once gone through Scott to the new deputy.

"He was Corey’s #1,” another DHS source said. “He was Corey’s henchman and sought to fire anyone not loyal to Noem, Corey and Trump."

“From the day he arrived, Mazzara served happily as the administration’s, and specifically Lewandowski’s, hatchet man,” one senior offical told The Daily Beast. “He personally removed well over a dozen senior career leaders, some who had served in government since the Reagan years, and replaced them with Trump loyalists. Quite the turn of events for him to be removed from his post.”

The senior source added: "Mazzara showed no interest in the actual work of the department. He was more concerned with ‘owning the libs,’ at the expense of the department’s mission and obligation to keep America safe.”

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