Investigate Noem’s $220 Million Ad Contract to Spouse’s Firm

I’m writing to urge you to investigate DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s awarding of contracts from a $220 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign to a firm with extensive personal and business ties to her and her senior staff. The Strategy Group’s CEO is married to Noem’s chief spokesperson at DHS, Tricia McLaughlin. The firm played a central role in Noem’s last gubernatorial campaign and has worked closely with her top DHS aide, Corey Lewandowski. DHS bypassed normal competitive bidding when awarding these contracts, allocating most of the money to a mysterious Delaware LLC created days before the deal was finalized. The Strategy Group does not appear on public documents about the deal despite running a shoot for an ad featuring Noem on horseback at Mount Rushmore. Multiple federal contracting experts told ProPublica that these extensive ties suggest major potential violations of ethics rules. McLaughlin claims she recused herself and has no visibility into why the Strategy Group was chosen, yet the office funding the ad contracts is listed as the DHS Office of Public Affairs, which she runs. Five senators and two representatives have already requested documents and formal investigations. Senate Democrats wrote that the public deserves to know government officials aren’t using taxpayer dollars to enrich themselves and their friends, calling for investigation into whether DHS officials violated federal laws designed to prevent self-dealing. I’m calling on you to demand the DHS inspector general investigate this contract, subpoena all communications between Noem, her aides, and anyone associated with the Strategy Group or the Delaware LLC, and hold public hearings on how a firm with these conflicts of interest secured taxpayer money without competitive bidding.