It was October 2, the second day of a government shutdown, when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived at Mount Rushmore, riding horseback in chaps and a cowboy hat. The camera rolled, capturing her stern warning to would-be immigrants: “Break our laws, we’ll punish you.”
But behind the patriotic imagery, a shadowy web of money and influence was quietly unfolding. Noem had unleashed a $220 million, taxpayer-funded ad campaign under the guise of a “national emergency” at the border. By invoking this emergency, she sidestepped the normal bidding process designed to prevent favoritism, giving her unprecedented control over where federal dollars flowed.
An investigative report by ProPublica now reveals a curious and troubling pattern: at the heart of the campaign was a Republican consulting firm with deep personal and political ties to Noem — the Strategy Group. The company orchestrated the Mount Rushmore shoot, yet it does not appear on public contract documents. Instead, the listed recipient was a mysterious Delaware LLC, Safe America Media, created just days before the deal was finalized. Who really profited from the $143 million flowing to this shadow company?
The connections are striking. Strategy Group CEO Ben Yoho is married to Noem’s DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin. Corey Lewandowski, Noem’s top adviser, has long worked with the firm. The Strategy Group played a central role in Noem’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign and has since become a key conduit for millions in taxpayer dollars.
Federal contracting experts are alarmed. “It’s corrupt, is the word,” said Charles Tiefer, a former member of the Commission on Wartime Contracting. “Hiding your friends as subcontractors is like playing hide the salami with the taxpayer.” Scott Amey, an ethics watchdog, added, “It’s worthy of an investigation to ferret out how these decisions were made, and whether they were made legally and without bias.”
Noem’s ad machine has grown rapidly. This summer, she began personally approving any payment over $100,000, consolidating power over billions in federal funds. Meanwhile, the Delaware LLC, Safe America Media, lists only the home of Republican operative Michael McElwain — a man with a small advertising company that seems ill-equipped to manage a $143 million federal contract. Who is really behind the money? And why was the company formed just days before the award?
This is not the first time Noem’s inner circle has profited from public funds. In 2023, her South Dakota administration quietly funneled $8.5 million to the Strategy Group for a state ad campaign. Even key aides received payments: Madison Sheahan, now second-in-command at ICE, was paid up to $25,000 for “consulting.”
The Mount Rushmore ad, airing on “Fox & Friends,” blends political theatrics with commercial gloss. Noem delivers lines like a movie star: “From the cowboys who tamed the West to the titans who built our cities… You cross the border illegally, we’ll find you.” Behind the scenes, executives from the Strategy Group and subcontractors ran the production — the public sees the spectacle, but the trail of money is murky.
Experts warn the depth of the connections raises serious ethical questions. Federal rules are designed to prevent exactly this kind of entanglement. Yet here, a shell company was created overnight, millions flowed to allies, and the DHS Office of Public Affairs — led by McLaughlin — managed the funds. McLaughlin insists she recused herself: “My marriage is one thing and work is another. I don’t combine them.” But critics say it’s impossible to separate influence from access.
The story stretches back years. Yoho’s firm, now a national player in political advertising, has long benefited from Noem’s campaigns. In South Dakota, text messages and internal accounts suggest top aides pressured officials to award contracts to Yoho’s company. “She wants to do it,” one aide allegedly said. The firm got the contract. Ads rolled. Millions flowed. And questions remain about who ultimately pocketed the money.
Now the drama has moved to the national stage. $220 million in taxpayer funds. Shadowy Delaware companies. Trusted aides receiving six-figure payouts. And the Homeland Security Secretary herself at the center of a web of influence that federal experts warn may violate ethics rules.
The Mount Rushmore ad may look like a patriotic spectacle, but the real story — hidden behind the cameras, the contracts, and the Delaware shell — is one of money, power, and secrecy. And the full scope of the scandal may be far from what the public has seen.
