DHS Secretary FUNNELS $200 Million — CORRUPT!

U.S. Department of Homeland Security emblem on wall.

A federal contract law expert calls it “corrupt” after investigations revealed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem funneled over $200 million in taxpayer funds to firms with direct personal ties to her inner circle while systematically dismantling the oversight offices designed to prevent such abuse.

Story Highlights

DHS awarded over $200 million in contracts to firms connected to Noem and her senior aides, bypassing competitive bidding
Noem closed internal oversight offices and required personal approval for all payments over $100,000
Strategy Group CEO’s wife leads DHS Office of Public Affairs while the firm receives multimillion-dollar ad contracts
Congressional Democrats demand Inspector General investigation into $200 million luxury jet purchases for Noem’s use
Legal challenges forced DHS to publicly announce oversight offices remained open despite staff being placed on leave

The Web of Personal Connections

ProPublica’s investigation exposed a troubling pattern of favoritism within Noem’s DHS. The Strategy Group, a Republican consulting firm that received lucrative ad contracts, maintains intimate ties to Noem’s administration. The firm’s CEO married the head of DHS’s Office of Public Affairs, who managed the very contracts awarded to her husband’s company. Adding another layer, Madison Sheahan, Noem’s close adviser who received payments from Strategy Group, now serves as ICE’s second-in-command.

These arrangements raise serious questions about conflict of interest and abuse of power. Federal contract law authority Charles Tiefer didn’t mince words, calling the situation “corrupt” and demanding inspector general and congressional investigations. The use of a Delaware intermediary company, Safe America Media, to obscure the true recipients of taxpayer funds only deepens concerns about transparency.

Dismantling the Watchdogs

Perhaps most alarming was Noem’s systematic assault on accountability mechanisms. In early March 2025, she placed oversight office staff on administrative leave, effectively shuttering the internal watchdogs designed to prevent exactly this type of abuse. This wasn’t an oversight or bureaucratic reshuffling – it was a calculated move to eliminate scrutiny of her administration’s spending practices.

RFK Human Rights recognized the danger immediately, filing suit against DHS for closing these critical oversight offices. The organization understood that without internal accountability, there would be no check on potential corruption or waste. Their legal challenge proved prescient when courts ordered DHS to announce the oversight offices remained open, though the damage to institutional integrity was already done.

The Scale of Financial Impropriety

The numbers involved are staggering even by federal government standards. Beyond the $200 million in questionable ad contracts, congressional leaders are demanding investigations into an additional $200 million spent on luxury jets for Noem’s personal use. Senator Peters’ office condemned what they called “unrestrained corruption and waste,” highlighting how Noem instituted policies requiring her personal approval for any DHS payment exceeding $100,000.

This centralization of spending authority wasn’t about efficiency or oversight – it was about control. By requiring her personal sign-off on major expenditures while simultaneously dismantling oversight offices, Noem created the perfect environment for the type of cronyism and self-dealing that has now come to light. The American people deserve better stewardship of their tax dollars, particularly from an agency tasked with protecting national security.