President-elect Donald Trump's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski helped arrange Trump's meeting with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim last weekend, Politico reports.
Trump on Tuesday tweeted:
Lewandowski, who's launching a new lobbying firm with Barry Bennett, met with Slim over a week before the billionaires did. According to Bennett, Slim is not "an official client" of the new firm, Avenue Strategies.
"It's possible he becomes a client, and it's possible he doesn't," Bennett said of Slim to Politico. "It's unknown," he added. "Everyone would love to have Carlos Slim as a client."
Trump campaigned on a promise to "drain the swamp" in Washington of lobbyists and special interest groups, and his close relationship with the head of a new lobbying firm has some worried.
In an interview with Politico, Lewandowski claimed that Trump's call to "drain the swamp" was more about bureaucracy than special interests, though Trump's five-point plan for ethics reform mentions lobbying in every point.
"The message he has talked about is bureaucracy that has ran amok is a problem," he said. "I think most companies would prefer to have a fast 'no' than a long 'maybe.' We are going to help companies get a faster answer."
Lewandowski echoed his partner when asked about Slim.
"Carlos Slim is not a client. I have never received a dime from him. He has never paid me a dime. They didn't pay for my travel. I do not have a contract, they never asked me for a contract, and I have not sought a contract," Lewandowski told Politico. "I went down as a private citizen."
When Politico suggested that Slim could become a client, Lewandowski said, "There is absolutely no factual basis that I'm trying to sign Carlos Slim as a client."
Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks denied that Lewandowski was abusing his relationship with the president-elect for his own financial gain.
"Selling access to Trump' is not accurate," she said in an email to Politico, adding that they should "follow up with Corey or Barry directly on any additional details."
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