YOUR MONEY — Kristi Noem’s ad work is connected to a limited number of LLCs with close personal/political ties

Until accountability with consequences is forced on these thieves, it will continue. This is what you voted for.

What the Reporting Shows

1. Safe America Media, LLC (Delaware)

   • DHS awarded roughly $143 million of its $220 million ad campaign to a Delaware-based LLC called Safe America Media. South Dakota Searchlight+3ProPublica+3Latin Times+3

   • That company was created just days before the contract was awarded. ProPublica+2Boing Boing+2

   • Its listed address is the Virginia home of a Republican operative named Michael McElwain. ProPublica

   • Very little is publicly known about how Safe America Media pays subcontractors or how it’s structured (“how, where and to whom … doled out the $143 million is unknown”). ProPublica+2Dakota Free Press+2

2. Strategy Group

   • Even though Safe America Media is the named recipient on the DHS contracts, the actual production of at least some of the ads (e.g. the Mount Rushmore ad with Noem on horseback) appears to have been done by the Strategy Group, a consulting firm with very close ties to Noem. ProPublica+2TPM – Talking Points Memo+2

   • The Strategy Group’s CEO, Benjamin Yoho, is married to Noem’s chief DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin. ProPublica

   • This same firm worked on Noem’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign in South Dakota. ProPublica

3. Other Ties

   • Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Noem adviser, is also deeply connected to this network of firms. South Dakota Searchlight+1

   • A watchdog report (Accountable.US) found that DHS paid $76.6 million so far to two LLCs with these connections (Safe America Media, and People Who Think, LLC). Accountable US

Why People Are Raising Red Flags

• Conflict of Interest / Ethics: Because the Strategy Group (which did the actual creative work) is so closely tied to Noem’s inner circle, critics argue there’s a conflict. ProPublica+2Latin Times+2

• Lack of Transparency: The structure (a “mysterious” shell-company LLC created just before the contract) makes it hard to trace exactly who did what, and how the money was spent. ProPublica

• Bypassing Competition: According to ProPublica, DHS invoked a “national emergency” at the border to skip the usual competitive bidding — meaning these contracts didn’t go through a fully open procurement process. DCReport.org+2Latin Times+2

• Previous State-Level Work: The same firms (like Strategy Group) have received money from Noem’s South Dakota government (e.g., $8.5 million for state-level ads) when she was governor. Rapid City NewsCenter1+1