The cowgirl look of Kristi Noem cost her dearly. The former Secretary of Homeland Security is in the eye of the storm after it was revealed that she used a taxpayers’ fortune to produce advertisements with an excessively glamorous and, according to Democratic senators, totally “fraudulent” touch.
While Noem headed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), $286,137 was spent on a single one-minute ad where she appears riding in front of Mount Rushmore. The problem is not only the anti-immigrant message, but the bills she left behind: $20,000 for renting horses and almost $4,000 on her makeup and hair alone. Even on the Oscar red carpets you don’t see that much luxury!
Kristi Noem under fire for millions in DHS expenses
The investigation led by Senators Peter Welch and Richard Blumenthal uncovered that the million-dollar contract was awarded without bidding to Safe America Media, a company that was founded just seven days before receiving $143 million from the government.
The most suspicious detail? The company is registered in the house of a political operator linked to Noem’s advisors.
“It looks like a case of waste, fraud and abuse,” sentenced Senator Welch, who claims that this was more of a personal image campaign for Noem than a national security strategy.
20 seconds of glory for almost $300,000
In the controversial video, Kristi Noem appears for just 20 seconds riding a horse, but the labor cost to the production company exceeded $100,000.
For Democrats, this “spectacle” on a symbol of democracy like Mount Rushmore is an insult to Americans’ pocketbooks.
Despite the scandal and her removal from office on March 5, Noem is not out of the game.
President Trump has already appointed her as “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” a new initiative where she will presumably continue to manage security budgets.
Do you think it’s fair to spend thousands of dollars on make-up and fancy horses to promote immigration laws, or is it just plain brazen? The expense account is just opening.
Filed under: Kristi Noem DHS expenses
