A new scandal has emerged at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with evidence suggesting that Kristi Noem's agency secretly paid millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to a Republican consulting firm with ties to the former governor and her senior aides.
The Strategy Group, run by CEO Ben Yoho, who is married to Tricia McLaughlin, DHS' chief spokesperson, was awarded contracts worth over $220 million for a multi-million-dollar ad campaign aimed at stemming illegal immigration. The company's involvement raises significant questions about potential conflicts of interest and the ethics of Noem's leadership.
While the exact details of the deals are unclear, records show that Safe America Media, a Delaware-based LLC created days before being awarded the contract, received $143 million from DHS. The majority of this money was paid to subcontractors hired by the company for ad work, which were not disclosed in federal contracting databases.
Critics argue that the close ties between Noem's agency and the Strategy Group suggest major potential violations of ethics rules. Charles Tiefer, a leading authority on federal contract law, described the firm's role as "corrupt" and called for investigations by both the DHS inspector general and the House Oversight Committee.
Noem has hailed the ad campaign as crucial in stemming immigration, but critics say that the lack of transparency surrounding the awards process and the close ties between Noem's agency and her allies raises concerns about accountability.
The revelation comes as Noem faces increasing scrutiny over her handling of taxpayer funds and her leadership style. Her recent decision to require personal approval for payments over $100,000 has raised eyebrows among experts.
In response to criticism, DHS maintained that the agency followed standard contracting procedures, but records suggest otherwise. As more details emerge about this scandal, it remains to be seen whether Noem's administration will face further consequences for its handling of taxpayer funds and potential conflicts of interest.
The Strategy Group, run by CEO Ben Yoho, who is married to Tricia McLaughlin, DHS' chief spokesperson, was awarded contracts worth over $220 million for a multi-million-dollar ad campaign aimed at stemming illegal immigration. The company's involvement raises significant questions about potential conflicts of interest and the ethics of Noem's leadership.
While the exact details of the deals are unclear, records show that Safe America Media, a Delaware-based LLC created days before being awarded the contract, received $143 million from DHS. The majority of this money was paid to subcontractors hired by the company for ad work, which were not disclosed in federal contracting databases.
Critics argue that the close ties between Noem's agency and the Strategy Group suggest major potential violations of ethics rules. Charles Tiefer, a leading authority on federal contract law, described the firm's role as "corrupt" and called for investigations by both the DHS inspector general and the House Oversight Committee.
Noem has hailed the ad campaign as crucial in stemming immigration, but critics say that the lack of transparency surrounding the awards process and the close ties between Noem's agency and her allies raises concerns about accountability.
The revelation comes as Noem faces increasing scrutiny over her handling of taxpayer funds and her leadership style. Her recent decision to require personal approval for payments over $100,000 has raised eyebrows among experts.
In response to criticism, DHS maintained that the agency followed standard contracting procedures, but records suggest otherwise. As more details emerge about this scandal, it remains to be seen whether Noem's administration will face further consequences for its handling of taxpayer funds and potential conflicts of interest.
the fact that her spokespersons spouse works there is wild too, tricia mclaughlin ben yoho's wife 
. and now it sounds like they might have broken some laws or somethin. i mean, 220 million dollars for an ad campaign? that's sus to say the least. the lack of transparency is just shady 
. i don't know what kind of "standard contracting procedures" DHS is gonna claim but this all feels really fishy to me 
This is getting crazy! I mean, $143 million paid to a company run by the spouse of the DHS spokesperson? 
That's just not right. And what's up with Safe America Media being created days before getting the contract? It sounds like they were set up to take advantage of this deal. 
And don't even get me started on Ben Yoho, the CEO... I think he might be more trouble than he's worth. 
. As for Kristi Noem's leadership style, I think she needs to be more open about her administration's dealings – the fact that her agency paid millions to a firm with ties to her aides should give people some pause 
. I'm not saying Ben Yoho is corrupt or anything (he's married to Tricia McLaughlin, so I guess they're both in on it 
), but some questions need answering about these massive ad contracts 
And what's with all these secrets and lack of transparency? I mean, isn't this supposed to be about stopping illegal immigration or something? Not about lining up Noem's buddies for a payday 
And now we're hearing that most of it was paid out to subcontractors who weren't even disclosed in the contracts? That just smells fishy to me. 
A full investigation is needed to get to the bottom of this. Maybe there's more to the story than what we're being told... 
. It's like a never-ending cycle of corruption & cover-ups... first it was Trump's admin, then it was Biden's, now it's Kristi Noem's turn 
. Who's gonna hold these people accountable for misusing taxpayer funds? 
. And what about the close ties between Noem and Ben Yoho? It's like a nepotistic nightmare 
. I'm not surprised to see Charles Tiefer calling for investigations, but it's about time someone does something about this 
. We need more scrutiny on these people & their dealings... the American people deserve better 
.
like who do we even trust anymore? i'm not saying kristi noem is corrupt or anything but come on folks, be transparent about these ad campaigns. it's not right to funnel millions of taxpayer dollars into this company without proper disclosure 
the fact that she requires personal approval for payments over $100k just shows how out of touch her administration is 
The fact that DHS paid millions to a consulting firm with ties to Kristi Noem's inner circle is just plain weird. Like, who gets invited to the exclusive club of receiving taxpayer cash without going through proper channels? 
. I mean, what's the deal with all these sweetheart deals? It's like they're more interested in lining their own pockets than doing what's best for America 
. I'm calling for an investigation, stat! We need to know who else has been benefiting from these cozy deals and whether there's more to this story than meets the eye 
. If she's got nothing to hide, then let her explain how all these millions of dollars were spent on ad campaigns for immigration 
. But if there's a cover-up, that's when we need to start talking accountability 
.
ben and tricia should totally clarify this ASAP. Noem needs to come clean about all the shady dealings 
. Can't trust anyone who's too close to power, you know? The whole thing stinks of corruption and lack of transparency. I'm all for accountability now 
. And now they're saying it was all above board, but I've seen enough red flags to make me skeptical 
and honestly, $143 million unaccounted for is like a whole lotta suspicious 