Your Money — Key Kristi Noem Spending Stories

Your Money — Key Kristi Noem Spending Stories

1. $220 Million DHS Ad Campaign (Safe America Media)

• Amount: ~$220 million contracted by DHS. ProPublica+2DCReport.org+2

• Recipient: Safe America Media, LLC — a Delaware-registered company created just days before receiving the contract. ProPublica

• Purpose: Border-security-themed ad campaign, featuring Secretary Noem warning of enforcement (“Break our laws, we’ll punish you”). Yahoo+1

• Procurement Process: DHS invoked a “national emergency” at the southern border to bypass the usual competitive bidding process. Yahoo+1

• Transparency Concerns: It’s unclear who the subcontractors are — “how, where and to whom … Safe America Media doled out the $143 million” is not publicly disclosed. ProPublica+1

• Ties to Noem:

  • Strategy Group (a political firm closely connected to Noem) appears to have done production work. ProPublica

  • The Strategy Group’s CEO, Ben Yoho, is married to Noem’s DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin. DCReport.org+1

  • The Strategy Group previously worked on Noem’s 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial campaign. ProPublica+1

• Ethics Red Flags: Contracting experts say the structure suggests potential conflicts of interest and favoritism. DCReport.org+1

• Watchdogs’ Reaction: Former contracting official called the deal “corrupt.” Yahoo

2. $76.6 Million Spent So Far (Accountable.US Report)

• Amount Spent (so far): $76.6 million of taxpayer money on Noem-led ads. Accountable US

• Companies Involved:

  • Safe America Media, LLC — same Delaware-based LLC mentioned above. Accountable US

  • People Who Think, LLC — another company receiving funds. Accountable US

• Connections: One of the companies is linked to Noem’s longtime aide Corey Lewandowski, according to Accountable.US. Accountable US

• Contextual Note: This spending is occurring while other areas of federal funding (like SNAP, Medicaid) are being cut, according to the watchdog group. Accountable US

3. Undisclosed $80,000 Payment to Noem While Governor

• Amount: $80,000

• Source: Paid by the American Resolve Policy Fund — a nonprofit that operates in the “dark money” space (does not fully disclose its donors). ProPublica

• Purpose: The payment was compensation for Noem’s fundraising efforts. ProPublica

• Ethics Issue: Noem did not list this payment on her public ethics disclosures. ProPublica+1

• Corporate Structure: The nonprofit routed the money into a Delaware LLC owned by Noem. ProPublica