Democrats release details behind spending on Noem’s $220 million ad campaign

The Trump-aligned company tasked with creating the $220 million ad featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem got a $60,000 signing bonus for making the commercial, during which time it spent $20,000 on horse rentals, lawmakers revealed Monday.

The breakdown, secured as part of an investigation from Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), offers new details about the expenses behind the no-bid contract that showed Noem riding horses in front of Mount Rushmore while urging migrants to leave the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security awarded Safe America Media the $143 million contract for the ad, which then turned to subcontractor The Strategy Group to carry out its production.

The Strategy Group was involved with Noem’s 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial race, and the company’s CEO is married to former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. Noem aide Corey Lewandowsk has also worked with the firm. 

The documents obtained at the senators’ request show The Strategy Group got a $60,000 signing bonus for its work, while a vendor that rents horses was awarded $20,000. The review also found the company spent just under $4,000 on hair and makeup.

Labor costs accounted for about $107,000 of the contract, while production costs were just over $53,000. In total, the ad cost the group $286,137 to make, though The Strategy Group previously wrote on X that it received “$226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements and 6 produced radio advertisements” as a subcontractor for Safe America.

The company did not immediately comment Monday.

“This looks like waste, fraud, and abuse to me. 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 said in a statement.

“All the companies involved in Noem’s ad campaign have an obligation to be transparent about how taxpayer funds were used, and if anyone at DHS benefited. I urge the companies DHS contracted and sub-contracted with to tell the public what they know.” 

In a related move, House Democrats opened a probe into Lewandowski last week about his role in contracting, an investigation that has been expanded amid reports the aide took kickbacks to advance certain contracts.

“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. 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,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said in a Monday statement.

Noem had long claimed President Trump asked her to run the ad, in which she thanked him for closing the border.

But she took heat over its creation in congressional hearings last month in which Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) disputed the extent Trump was aware of the campaign and said its primary goal appeared to be boosting Noem’s name recognition.

Trump, shortly before firing Noem, said he “never knew” of the plans for the ad.

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