Kristi Noem Under Scrutiny as $220 Million DHS Ad Campaign Benefits Allies
A ProPublica examination reveals a $220 million advertising campaign spearheaded by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has directed significant funds to companies with deep ties to her political network, raising serious ethical concerns and prompting calls for federal investigation.
The controversy centers around a series of taxpayer-funded advertisements intended to deter illegal immigration. Launched during a government shutdown on October 2nd, one ad featured Noem herself, on horseback at Mount Rushmore, delivering a stark message to potential border crossers: “Break our laws, we’ll punish you.” While noem has touted the campaign as vital to border security, the process by which contracts were awarded has come under intense scrutiny.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bypassed standard competitive bidding procedures, citing a “national emergency” at the border. This allowed the agency to award a substantial portion of the funds – $143 million – to Safe America Media,a newly formed Delaware LLC with limited public profile. Records indicate the company was established just days before securing the lucrative contract.
Further complicating matters, the primary firm executing the ad campaign, the Strategy Group, was not initially listed on public contract documents. This Republican consulting firm boasts extensive connections to Noem and key DHS officials. It played a central role in Noem’s 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial reelection campaign, and its CEO, Ben Yoho, is married to Tricia McLaughlin, Noem’s chief spokesperson at DHS. Corey Lewandowski, Noem’s top advisor at DHS, has also worked extensively with the firm.
“It’s corrupt,is the word,” stated a leading authority on federal contract law and former member of the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan.He argued the Strategy Group’s involvement warrants investigations by both the DHS inspector general and the House Oversight Committee,adding,”Hiding your friends as subcontractors is like playing hide the salami with the taxpayer.”
Scott Amey, a contracting expert and general counsel at the watchdog group Project on Government Oversight, echoed these concerns, stating, “It’s worthy of an investigation to ferret out how these decisions were made, and whether they were made legally and without bias.”
The scale of Noem’s financial control has expanded significantly with the passage of the “Big Government Reform Act,” which she signed into law last month. The act allows the DHS Secretary to unilaterally approve contracts up to $500 million without competitive bidding, ostensibly to expedite responses to national security threats.
The DHS Office of Public Affairs, headed by McLaughlin, oversees the ad contracts.DHS maintains its contracting process is conducted “by the book” and run by career officials,dismissing the ProPublica report as an attempt to “defame these public servants.”
Yoho’s ascent within Noem’s orbit began in South Dakota, where Lewandowski brought him into her inner circle to lead the advertising efforts for her 2022 gubernatorial campaign.Following her landslide victory, Yoho attended Noem’s inauguration alongside Lewandowski.
Prior to the DHS contract, Yoho was already involved in planning another ad campaign for noem, this time funded by state coffers and aimed at attracting workers to South Dakota. His company, Go West Media, was registered in south Dakota just days before the contract chance was publicly announced. A former Noem management official stated a top aide pressured them to ensure Yoho’s company won the contract, corroborating evidence found in contemporaneous text messages.
Noem herself starred in Yoho’s state-funded ads, appearing in humorous portrayals of various professions, including a dentist, plumber, and state trooper. The exact amount earned by Yoho and the Strategy Group from the $8.5 million deal remains unclear, though some funds were used for advertising spots on Fox News. A portion of the money also flowed to another of Noem’s top advisors.
Furthermore, Yoho’s firm received payments for social media consulting and media production work from Noem’s american Resolve PAC, with the most recent payment occurring in February, shortly after Noem’s appointment to DHS. The confluence of these events paints a picture of a deeply interconnected network where political loyalty appears to translate into lucrative government contracts,raising fundamental questions about clarity and ethical conduct within the Department of Homeland Security.
