Senate Democrats on Monday released a detailed financial breakdown of the controversial $220 million advertising campaign featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, revealing a $60,000 signing bonus paid to a subcontractor and $20,000 spent on horse rentals. The findings, part of an investigation led by Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), provide new scrutiny of the no-bid contract that produced ads showing Noem riding horses before Mount Rushmore while telling migrants to leave the United States.
Contract Details and Political Connections
The Department of Homeland Security awarded the primary $143 million contract for the advertisement campaign to Safe America Media, a firm aligned with former President Donald Trump. Safe America Media then subcontracted the production work to The Strategy Group. This subcontractor has deep political ties: it was involved in Noem's 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial race, its CEO is married to former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, and the firm has worked with Noem aide Corey Lewandowski.
Documents obtained by the senators show The Strategy Group received a $60,000 signing bonus for its work. A separate vendor providing horse rentals was paid $20,000. The review also found the company spent just under $4,000 on hair and makeup services. Labor costs accounted for approximately $107,000 of the subcontract, while production expenses totaled just over $53,000.
Discrepancies in Total Costs
In total, the ad cost the subcontractor $286,137 to produce, according to the Democratic investigation. The Strategy Group had previously claimed on social media platform X that it received "$226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements and 6 produced radio advertisements" for its work as a Safe America Media subcontractor. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday regarding the senators' findings.
"This looks like waste, fraud, and abuse to me," Senator Welch said in a statement. "While leading the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem and her senior team allowed tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to be spent on wasteful production costs, a shady signing bonus, and a very expensive horse rental—and that's just what we know so far." Welch demanded transparency from all companies involved regarding how taxpayer funds were used and whether any DHS officials benefited personally.
Expanding Investigations into DHS Contracts
The Senate probe coincides with a separate House investigation into Lewandowski's role in DHS contracting. House Democrats opened that probe last week and have since expanded it amid reports the aide may have taken kickbacks to advance certain contracts. The scrutiny of DHS contracts comes as international diplomatic efforts face their own challenges, such as the conflicting claims surrounding potential negotiations with Iran.
"Corey Lewandowski appears to have engaged in deep-rooted corruption at the Department of Homeland Security, and this massive pay-to-play scheme should concern all Americans," said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. "We need answers directly from any companies Lewandowski was soliciting. Oversight Democrats are going to root out this corruption at DHS, and we won't stop until there's accountability."
Political Fallout and Contradictory Claims
The advertisement has been a source of political controversy since its launch. Noem had repeatedly claimed that former President Donald Trump personally asked her to run the ad, in which she thanked him for closing the border. However, during congressional hearings last month, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) challenged that narrative, disputing the extent of Trump's awareness and suggesting the campaign's primary goal was to boost Noem's national name recognition.
Trump himself, shortly before dismissing Noem from her post, publicly stated he "never knew" of the plans for the advertisement. This contradiction highlights the internal tensions within Trump-aligned circles and raises questions about the campaign's true purpose. The focus on domestic political maneuvering stands in contrast to the substantive policy debates seen in other races, like the recent Georgia runoff debate where candidates clashed over Iran and the economy.
The release of the contract details intensifies pressure on Noem and the Department of Homeland Security to justify the massive expenditure, particularly the items flagged by Democrats as excessive. The investigations in both the Senate and House are likely to continue, seeking further documentation and testimony regarding the contracting process and the involvement of politically connected individuals.
