Kristi Noem is facing intense scrutiny this week as major news outlets highlight growing concerns over how the Department of Homeland Security is managing its multi million dollar advertising contracts. According to Truthout and Bloomberg, Noem’s agency has tripled its ad budget over the past year, now totaling two hundred twenty million dollars. The bulk of these contracts have reportedly been awarded to companies with longstanding business and personal ties to Noem and her circle of top advisers. Specifically, the Strategy Group, a Republican consulting firm that managed campaign ads for Noem’s previous governor race, is alleged to have received payments from hundreds of millions in government contracts awarded by DHS. Investigations reveal that the Strategy Group’s direct connections include Noem’s chief spokesperson at DHS, Tricia McLaughlin, whose husband Ben Yoho is CEO of the firm.

What makes this headline significant is the process by which the advertising campaign contracts were awarded. Within days of the government shutdown in October, Noem herself filmed a hardline immigration ad at Mount Rushmore as part of a push to support the ongoing border emergency messaging. DHS invoked emergency powers to bypass the usual competitive bidding protocols, raising alarm among government contracting experts who now question impartiality and potential conflicts of interest. Charles Tiefer, a former member of the Commission on Wartime Contracting, called the arrangement corrupt and worthy of inspector general investigation. Reports also detail that a mysterious Delaware company named Safe America Media, formed only days before its contract was finalized, became the main conduit for the majority of the funds yet federal records do not disclose which subcontractors, such as the Strategy Group, ultimately received large payments.

Internal DHS statements deny any impropriety or direct involvement in subcontractor selection, insisting career officials ran the process. However, experts note that agencies sometimes do approve subcontractors and the Strategy Group’s previous scandals in South Dakota, when Noem was governor, are relevant. During her tenure, she allegedly pushed for the same consulting firm to win an eight million dollar state contract, with parts of those funds paid to her closest aides now serving under her at DHS.

The latest wave of television ads warn immigrants that illegal entry will be punished, echoing Noem’s message of crackdowns and strong border enforcement. These ads blend political and commercial styles, featuring Noem in boots and a cowboy hat, broadcast on major networks like Fox News. The controversy is far from resolved, and congressional oversight is expected as new details about contract handling and personnel involvement emerge.

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