DHS Corruption Under Kristi Noem: No-Bid Ads, Kickbacks, Firing

Corruption allegations against the Department of Homeland Security under Kristi Noem centered on a $220 million no-bid advertising campaign steered to firms connected to her inner circle, kickback demands by her top adviser Corey Lewandowski, hundreds of millions spent on luxury aircraft, and the obstruction of the department’s own inspector general. President Trump fired Noem in March 2026 after she told the Senate he had personally approved the ad campaign and he publicly denied it. Investigations by the DHS Office of Inspector General, multiple congressional committees, and at least one outside federal law enforcement agency remain open.

The $220 Million No-Bid Ad Campaign

On February 13, 2025, DHS awarded two contracts totaling $220 million for an immigration-enforcement advertising campaign, bypassing competitive bidding by invoking a “national emergency” at the southern border. People Who Think, a Louisiana-based Republican advertising company, received $77 million. Safe America Media, a Delaware LLC, received $143 million.¹

Safe America Media had been incorporated seven days before it signed. It was registered to the Virginia home address of Republican operative Michael McElwain and had no office, no website, and no social media presence.² Where the $143 million went after reaching this entity remained largely opaque; subcontractors were not disclosed in federal contracting databases.³

The ads featured Noem delivering warnings to immigrants, with lines like “Break our laws, we’ll punish you,” aired on programs including “Fox & Friends.”¹

The Strategy Group Connection

The scrutiny sharpened when reporting revealed that the Strategy Group, a Republican consulting firm with deep ties to Noem, worked as an undisclosed subcontractor on the campaign. The firm’s CEO, Ben Yoho, is married to Tricia McLaughlin, Noem’s chief spokesperson and head of the DHS Office of Public Affairs, the office funding the contracts.⁴ The Strategy Group appears on no public documents connected to the deal.⁵

After senators questioned Noem about the arrangement on March 3, 2026, the Strategy Group disclosed that Safe America Media had paid it $226,137.17 for five film shoots and the production of 45 video and six radio ads, including footage of Noem on horseback at Mount Rushmore.¹ McLaughlin said she had recused herself from matters involving her husband’s firm. DHS said career officials handled contracting “by the book” and that the department had no involvement in selecting subcontractors. Charles Tiefer, a former member of the Commission on Wartime Contracting, called the arrangement corrupt and said it warranted investigation for potential ethics and federal contracting violations.⁴

The arrangement echoed earlier controversies. As governor of South Dakota, Noem’s administration awarded the Strategy Group an $8.5 million contract in 2023 for a state ad campaign called “Freedom Works Here,” and a former state official alleged she personally intervened to secure the deal. Noem’s “American Resolve” PAC made payments to the Strategy Group as recently as February 2025, weeks after she took over at DHS.⁴ A separate ethics complaint filed by End Citizens United in July 2025 alleged Noem failed to disclose an $80,000 payment on her federal financial disclosure form, reportedly compensation for fundraising she did for a nonprofit managed by her former campaign treasurer.⁶

Kickback Allegations Against Corey Lewandowski

Corey Lewandowski served at DHS as an unpaid “special government employee” and adviser. Multiple sources described him as a de facto chief of staff with review power over contracts worth more than $100,000.⁷

The GEO Group, a major private prison company, alleged that during the presidential transition Lewandowski told its founder, George Zoley, he wanted payment in exchange for “protecting and growing” the company’s DHS contracts. When Zoley offered a retainer, Lewandowski reportedly rejected it and demanded a “success fee” tied to the value of new or renewed contracts.⁷ After GEO refused, Lewandowski allegedly instructed a senior DHS official not to award the company any further contracts, and two existing GEO contracts were reportedly shortened.⁸

A separate marketing firm was reportedly told that winning a $20–$50 million DHS subcontract was conditional on hiring a Lewandowski-linked consultant to “manage the relationship” and “properly thank the person who gave it to us.” The firm’s owner refused and did not receive the contract.⁷

At least four companies lodged about a dozen complaints with senior White House officials, according to New York Magazine. One official raised the matter directly with President Trump in October 2025. The White House took no action, reportedly because officials feared Trump would defend Lewandowski.⁸ Lewandowski, through a spokesperson, called the allegations “patently false” and said he “never demanded any payment or compensation” from anyone. DHS’s General Counsel said he complied with all ethics requirements.⁷

Lewandowski’s financial disclosures were never made public. House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia argued that his power over contracts of $100,000 or more made him a “public filer” legally required to disclose.⁹ DHS said he completed the forms internally but did not release them.¹⁰ Garcia also questioned whether Lewandowski exceeded the 130-day annual service limit for special government employees.¹¹

Aircraft Spending and the Salus Contract

DHS contracted for two Gulfstream G700 jets at a reported cost of roughly $172–$200 million, depending on whether training and enhancements were included. The Coast Guard had originally requested $50 million for a single replacement jet. Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee accused the Coast Guard of being “directed to prioritize [Noem’s] own comfort above operational needs.”¹²

Separately, DHS sought to purchase a Boeing 737 Max 8 for $70 million. Nicknamed the “Big Beautiful Jet,” the plane featured a queen-sized bed, showers, a bar, a kitchen, four large flat-screen TVs, and seating for only 18 passengers. DHS said the plane would be used for deportation flights and Cabinet travel, but ICE officials internally deemed it “too luxurious” for deportations.¹³ It was leased from Valkyrie Aviation Holdings Group, a company linked to William Walters, a former State Department official who donated to a pro-Noem political action committee. Noem and Lewandowski used the jet for travel, including a December 2025 trip to Amman, Jordan, and the plane was also loaned to First Lady Melania Trump for flights between Washington and New York.¹⁴

Walters was also behind Salus Worldwide Solutions, a company founded in 2023 with reportedly minimal federal contracting experience. DHS awarded Salus a three-year contract worth up to $915 million for aviation supporting “Project Homecoming,” the administration’s self-deportation initiative. Vendors were reportedly given only a two-day window to submit proposals, and the solicitation listed the contract value as $95 million instead of $915 million. Christopher Pratt, a former State Department colleague of Walters who ran the DHS division overseeing the contract, scheduled offsite meetings at Salus’s office before the award and personally congratulated Walters afterward. Rival contractor CSI Aviation sued in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, alleging DHS “foreclosed fair competition by secretly inviting only hand-picked vendors.”¹⁵

The pattern extended across the department. DHS awarded $2.5 billion in noncompetitive contracts in fiscal year 2025 and another $3.6 billion in the first six months of fiscal year 2026. The Project on Government Oversight documented contracts repeatedly issued at $99,999, just below the $100,000 threshold that would have required Noem’s personal sign-off.¹⁶

FEMA Delays During the Texas Floods

Noem imposed a rule requiring her personal approval for any FEMA expenditure exceeding $100,000. A review by Senate Democrats using internal whistleblower data found the policy delayed disaster aid approval by an average of three weeks and left hundreds of FEMA projects in limbo.¹⁷

The consequences became visible during catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas in July 2025, when waters rose more than 23 feet in under an hour. FEMA did not authorize deployment of Urban Search and Rescue teams until more than 72 hours after the flooding began. Requests for aerial imagery to support search operations were delayed pending Noem’s contract approval, and call-center wait times grew because hiring additional staff required the same sign-off. By July 9, 2025, the death toll had reached nearly 120, with more than 160 people still missing. Noem defended the policy, saying the federal government does not manage disasters and calling for FEMA to be “eliminated and remade.”¹⁸

The Minneapolis Shootings

In January 2026, federal immigration agents were involved in three shooting incidents in Minneapolis during “Operation Metro Surge,” killing two U.S. citizens and wounding a third person. The incidents pushed Noem’s tenure toward its end.

Renée Good, 37, was shot three times by ICE officer Jonathan Ross through her vehicle’s windshield while she was reportedly dropping children off at school. Federal officials said she “weaponized her vehicle”; local and state officials said video evidence contradicted that account.¹⁹ Alex Pretti, also 37, an ICU nurse, was shot ten times by Border Patrol agents. Federal authorities labeled him a “domestic terrorist” who intended to “massacre” law enforcement, but video showed he did not attempt to draw a weapon during the encounter.²⁰ A third person, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant, was shot and wounded. Federal assault charges against him were dropped after prosecutors realized they had not viewed video showing he had dropped the object he was holding before being shot. DHS acknowledged that two officers appeared to have “made untruthful statements” and placed them on administrative leave.²¹

Noem refused to retract her characterization of Good and Pretti as domestic terrorists. DHS was accused of barring state investigators from crime scenes and withholding evidence, including Good’s vehicle and Pretti’s cell phone.¹⁹ In late March 2026, Minnesota and Hennepin County sued the Trump administration to compel disclosure. The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death but declined to do the same for Good’s.²¹ A federal judge ruled in June 2026 that federal agencies had three weeks to produce evidence in the Good case.

How Noem Was Fired

On March 3, 2026, Noem appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Under questioning from Senator John Kennedy about the ad campaign contracts, she said President Trump had approved the campaign. Trump publicly disputed this, saying he had no knowledge of or involvement in the ads. Trump reportedly grew angry after seeing clips of her blaming him. On March 5, 2026, he announced her firing on social media.²²

The day before her Senate appearance, Noem had testified before the House Judiciary Committee, where Ranking Member Jamie Raskin accused her of running a “smear campaign” against Good and Pretti, obstructing Minnesota investigators, and misusing funds on the ads and jets.²³ Members pressed her on Lewandowski’s authority, the $143 million contract to Safe America Media, and FEMA delays. Asked by Rep. Dan Goldman about her authority to seize voting machines, Noem said she was unsure of her constitutional limitations. She could not confirm that a single ICE or CBP officer had been disciplined during her tenure.²⁴

Trump announced that Noem would remain at DHS through March 31 and then move to a new position as Special Envoy for the “Shield of the Americas.”²⁵ Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma was confirmed as her successor on March 23, 2026. During his confirmation hearing, Mullin said he would require immigration agents to obtain judicial warrants before entering private property, that he wanted ICE to function more as “a transport” than “the front line,” and that his goal was that within six months DHS would no longer be “the lead story every single day.” He pledged to cooperate with the inspector general “to the extent required by law.”²⁶

Where the Investigations Stand

The DHS Office of Inspector General, led by Joseph Cuffari, opened an investigation into contract solicitation and handling under Noem and Lewandowski, ordering dozens of officials to preserve records. A broader audit of fiscal year 2025 noncompetitive contracts was paused after personnel were furloughed during a DHS funding lapse in late March 2026. Cuffari also confirmed that another federal law enforcement agency had asked his office to join a separate criminal inquiry.²⁷²⁸

Cuffari told Congress in early March 2026 that DHS leadership had “systematically obstructed” his office’s work, citing 11 instances where officials denied access to records and information, including one involving “a criminal investigation with national security implications.”²⁷ DHS General Counsel James Percival called the obstruction claims “in bad faith and bordering on a material misrepresentation.” The White House’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposed cutting the OIG budget by nearly $22 million, eliminating 85 full-time positions.²⁹

On the Senate side, the Homeland Security Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations have opened probes into the ad contracts and Lewandowski’s alleged bribery.³⁰³¹ In the House, Judiciary Democrats have demanded that Chairman Jim Jordan subpoena Lewandowski, and Oversight Ranking Member Garcia has expanded his inquiry, writing directly to GEO Group’s CEO.³²³³

Lewandowski has said he is “not aware of any outreach from the inspector general” and denies any impropriety.³⁴ Minnesota’s suit seeking evidence in the Minneapolis shooting cases continues in federal court. The CSI Aviation challenge to the Salus contract remains pending in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

1
ProPublica. Kristi Noem DHS Ad Campaign Strategy Group
2
U.S. Senate. Letter to Safe America Media
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News From the States. Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From DHS Ad Contracts
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South Dakota Searchlight. Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From DHS Ad Contracts
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ProPublica. Kristi Noem DHS Strategy Group Senate Probe
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The Dakota Scout. $80K Political Payout to Kristi Noem
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NBC News. DHS Contractors Told White House Officials Asked to Pay Corey Lewandowski
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New York Magazine. Trump Heard Lewandowski Kickback Claims, Did Nothing
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House Oversight Committee Democrats. Ranking Member Robert Garcia Demands Public Release of Corey Lewandowski’s Financial Disclosures
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The Hill. Lewandowski Financial Disclosure Garcia Demands
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House Oversight Committee Democrats. Garcia to DHS Re Lewandowski Financial Disclosure
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The Washington Post. Noem Jets DHS Purchase
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NBC News. Luxury Jet DHS Wants to Buy for Deportations
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Project on Government Oversight. Unraveling the Corporate Ties to DHS’s Big Beautiful Jet
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Project on Government Oversight. Massive DHS Self-Deportation Contract Challenged as Secretive and Unlawful
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Project on Government Oversight. Contracting Scandals at DHS Underscore Need for Reforms
17
The New York Times. Noem DHS FEMA Delays
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CNN. FEMA Texas Flood Noem
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NPR. Alex Pretti Renee Good ICE Shootings Federal Investigations
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ABC7 New York. Noem Faces Grilling on Capitol Hill
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PBS NewsHour. Minnesota Sues to Obtain Evidence in Shootings by Federal Officers
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The New York Times. Trump News Live Updates
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House Judiciary Committee Democrats. Ranking Member Raskin’s Opening Statement at Hearing With Secretary Kristi Noem
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House Judiciary Committee Democrats. Judiciary Democrats Torch DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
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The Hill. Trump Appoints Noem Shield Americas
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CNBC. Markwayne Mullin Trump DHS Senate Confirmation
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CNN. Kristi Noem Corey Lewandowski Investigation Inspector General
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The Washington Post. Noem Trump DHS FEMA Contracts
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FedScoop. DHS White House Budget Proposal Inspector General
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Senate Homeland Security Committee Democrats. Homeland Security Democrats Demand Answers From Former DHS Advisor Lewandowski
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U.S. Senate. Welch Blumenthal Demand Answers on Potential Corruption in DHS Ad Campaign
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House Judiciary Committee Democrats. Judiciary Democrats Demand Chairman Jordan Subpoena Corey Lewandowski
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House Oversight Committee Democrats. Ranking Member Robert Garcia Expands Corey Lewandowski Investigation
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The New York Times. DHS Inspector General Inquiry Lewandowski