Kristi Noem Scandal Rocks Trump

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Democratic lawmakers have unveiled new details about how funds were used in a costly advertising campaign tied to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, raising questions about spending practices and oversight.

According to findings released Monday, a firm aligned with Donald Trump received a $60,000 upfront payment to produce a commercial that ultimately became part of a broader $220 million campaign. Records show that approximately $20,000 of that amount went toward renting horses for the ad, which featured Noem riding near Mount Rushmore while delivering a message encouraging migrants to leave the United States.

The financial details emerged from an inquiry led by Senators Peter Welch and Richard Blumenthal. Their investigation focused on a no-bid contract awarded by the Department of Homeland Security to Safe America Media, valued at $143 million. That company then hired the Strategy Group as a subcontractor to handle production.

The Strategy Group has prior political ties, including involvement in Noem’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign in South Dakota. Its leadership also has connections to former DHS communications officials, and longtime political operative Corey Lewandowski has worked with the firm as well.

Spending documents show that beyond the signing bonus and horse rental, nearly $4,000 was allocated for hair and makeup. Labor expenses made up roughly $107,000, while production costs exceeded $53,000. Altogether, the advertisement itself cost just over $286,000 to produce. However, the subcontractor has previously stated it received about $226,000 for multiple media outputs, including dozens of video and radio ads.

Lawmakers involved in the probe voiced concern about how taxpayer money was used. Senator Welch described the expenditures as potentially wasteful and called for greater transparency from all companies involved. He emphasized the need for clarity on whether any individuals within DHS personally benefited from the arrangement.

Meanwhile, scrutiny has expanded in the House. Representative Robert Garcia announced an ongoing investigation into Lewandowski’s role in the contracting process, amid allegations of improper financial incentives tied to contract approvals.

Noem has previously said the campaign was launched at the request of Trump and credited him with its message. However, during recent hearings, Senator John Kennedy questioned how much the former president actually knew about the effort, suggesting it may have served more to raise Noem’s public profile. Trump later stated he was unaware of the ad before it aired.