Corey Lewandowski's cushy CNN gig doesn't stop him from being paid by Trump

That Donald Trump changes his mind from time to time (or sentence to sentence) is not news. So it’s not that surprising that former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, fired from Trump’s campaign in late June, is back in Trump’s inner circle:

Each day, Trump wakes up, usually in his Fifth Avenue penthouse, and has a routine round of calls, sources say, that includes his campaign leadership (which has changed in recent weeks), his children, some close allies and someone else quite frequently: Lewandowski.

“They talk almost every day,” one senior level campaign staffer said, requesting anonymity.

It’s not like Lewandowski is a uniquely bad or uniquely good influence on Trump. Why do we care? 

Because Lewandowski is still a highly paid CNN commentator.

Appearing last week on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper was asked that very question. “So he works for you guys,” Colbert said, meaning CNN. “Does he still get any money from the Trump people at the same time? “

Cooper said, “I believe – I read he gets a continuing severance payment from the Trump campaign,” Cooper responded.

“So y’all are paying him and Trump is paying him, but he’s on your show doing analysis for a man he still gets cash from?” Colbert followed up.

“Pretty much,” Cooper said. “Yeah, I guess that’s one way to look at it.”

CNN is paying Lewandowski boatloads of money to commentate on a candidate he talks to almost every day and continues to be paid by. Because journalistic ethics.