Gutting Watchdogs and the Civil Service

The Advertising Contracts

Noem's DHS Restricted Bidding for Nearly $220 Million in Ads; She Told Senators It Was Competitive

Select a Section to Explore

Chapter 1 — Public Money, Restricted Bidding, Political Connections

Chapter 2 — What Noem Told Congress, and What DHS Has Not Answered

Chapter 3 — Trump Praised Noem After the Hearings and Announced Another Appointment

1 · Public Money, Restricted Bidding, Political Connections

1 · Public Money, Restricted Bidding, Political Connections — select a subtopic

1.1 — Nearly $220 Million Through a Pool DHS Chose

1.2 — The Production Firm Had Worked for Noem's Political Campaign

1 · Public Money, Restricted Bidding, Political Connections

1.1 · Public Money, Restricted Bidding, Political Connections

Nearly $220 Million Through a Pool DHS Chose

DHS committed nearly $220 million through two advertising contracts after restricting the initial bidding to a pool it chose. Three offers came in; the opportunity was never publicly announced. DHS said the campaign prompted more than 2.2 million self-deportations, but its published totals do not separate the effect of advertising from enforcement and incentives.

Justification and Approval for Other Than Full and Open Competition, solicitation 70RDA225R00000015 (redacted version), section on publicising the requirement

An announcement for this action will not be published at SAM.gov. It is exempt from the requirement per the exception at FAR 5.202(a)(2).

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations · posted March 7, 2025

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Sources

[1]Fox News Digital, Alexandra Koch, March 3, 2026, DHS defense of advertising outcomes

[2]Letter from Ranking Member Richard J. Durbin (Senate Committee on the Judiciary) and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (House Committee on the Judiciary) to Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi, referring Secretary Noem for investigation under 18 U.S.C. §§1001 and 1621

[3]U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Justification and Approval for Other Than Full and Open Competition, solicitation 70RDA225R00000015 (redacted version), published by DHS as an attachment to SAM.gov Special Notice 70RDA225-FY25-JA

[4]Federal Procurement Data System — Next Generation, public ATOM feed of every contract action recorded for SAFE AMERICA MEDIA LLC (12 actions, complete: two pages, the second short of the page size, so neither is truncated)

[5]Federal Procurement Data System — Next Generation, public ATOM feeds for the two advertising contracts and every order under them, captured again on October 10, 2026

[6]United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, official hearing page, 'Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security'

[7]Letter from Sens. Peter Welch and Richard Blumenthal to an individual they asked about his role at Safe America Media LLC

[8]The Strategy Group Co., public statement, March 3, 2026

[9]The White House, presidential action, 'President Trump Announces Cabinet and Cabinet Level Appointments'

[10]Post by @realDonaldTrump announcing the succession, Truth Social status 116178030946996760 — the platform's own API record (raw JSON)

[11]USAspending.gov award record for indefinite-delivery contract 70RDA225D00000004 (Safe America Media LLC), U.S. Department of the Treasury

[12]USAspending.gov award record for indefinite-delivery contract 70RDA225D00000003 (People Who Think, L.L.C.)

[13]Letter from Sen. Peter Welch to DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari requesting an investigation of the advertising awards

[14]Department of Homeland Security, campaign launch release, February 17, 2025

[15]SAM.gov opportunity record for Special Notice 73477226ef6b4bd093263512124126e9, titled 'DHS Justification and Approval for Other Than Full and Open Competition-Media Buying, Production and Advertising Campaign Development Services'

[16]48 C.F.R. §6.305 — availability of the justification (printed Code of Federal Regulations, 2024)

[17]Federal Procurement Data System — Next Generation, public ATOM feed of every contract action recorded under indefinite-delivery contract 70RDA225D00000003 (13 actions across two pages, complete)

[18]Fox News Digital report of March 4, 2026 carrying an on-record statement from Department of Homeland Security General Counsel James Percival about the advertising contracts

[19]USAspending.gov award record for delivery order 70CMSW25FR0000082 — Immigration and Customs Enforcement media dissemination and ad placement, Safe America Media LLC

[20]PBS News, Joshua Barajas, March 3, 2026, Kennedy questioning Noem on advertising spending

[21]Department of Homeland Security, CBP Home stipend release, January 21, 2026

[22]Edward Kissam, Center for Migration Studies of New York, January 12, 2026, analysis of self-deportation estimates

[23]41 U.S.C. §3301 — full and open competition (Office of the Law Revision Counsel, United States Code)

[24]41 U.S.C. §3304 — exceptions to full and open competition, including unusual and compelling urgency

1.2 · Public Money, Restricted Bidding, Political Connections

The Production Firm Had Worked for Noem's Political Campaign

The Strategy Group, which had managed Noem's gubernatorial advertising, acknowledged $226,137.17 in production fees through a subcontract on March 3. The senators later reported an accounting that included a $60,000 signing bonus benefiting the firm. DHS said contractors chose their own subcontractors and that Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS official married to the firm's CEO, recused herself. The payment establishes a political connection in the spending.

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Sources

[7]Letter from Sens. Peter Welch and Richard Blumenthal to an individual they asked about his role at Safe America Media LLC

[8]The Strategy Group Co., public statement, March 3, 2026

[11]USAspending.gov award record for indefinite-delivery contract 70RDA225D00000004 (Safe America Media LLC), U.S. Department of the Treasury

[12]USAspending.gov award record for indefinite-delivery contract 70RDA225D00000003 (People Who Think, L.L.C.)

[18]Fox News Digital report of March 4, 2026 carrying an on-record statement from Department of Homeland Security General Counsel James Percival about the advertising contracts

[19]USAspending.gov award record for delivery order 70CMSW25FR0000082 — Immigration and Customs Enforcement media dissemination and ad placement, Safe America Media LLC

[25]Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, joint demand with Sen. Peter Welch for answers from the succeeding Secretary about the adviser's role in departmental contracts

[26]USAspending.gov award record for delivery order 70RDA225FR0000009 — Task Order 1, Safe America Media LLC

[27]USAspending.gov award record for delivery order 70RDA225FR0000034 — Task Order Four, Safe America Media LLC

[28]18 U.S.C. §208 — acts affecting a personal financial interest (Government Publishing Office, United States Code, 2023 edition)

[29]5 C.F.R. §2635.502 — personal and business relationships, with the overview note at §2635.501 (Government Publishing Office, printed Code of Federal Regulations, 2024)

[30]SAM.gov exclusions index, searched on Safe America Media LLC's unique entity identifier R64SJRYFDKM7

2 · What Noem Told Congress, and What DHS Has Not Answered

2 · What Noem Told Congress, and What DHS Has Not Answered — select a subtopic

2.1 — Competitive Bidding Without the Restrictions

2.2 — Who Approved the Contracts

2 · What Noem Told Congress, and What DHS Has Not Answered

2.1 · What Noem Told Congress, and What DHS Has Not Answered

Competitive Bidding Without the Restrictions

The answer quoted in the referral described competitive bidding without mentioning the restricted pool or the lack of a public announcement. Congress permits an urgency exception, and three offers were received, so her description could be literally true. Two Judiciary ranking members requested an investigation; a Justice Department spokesperson called the referral a political stunt, ABC News reported.

March 3 Senate Judiciary testimony, quoted in the March 16 referral by Richard Durbin and Jamie Raskin

Yes, they did. They went out to a competitive bid, and career officials at the Department chose who would do those advertising commercials.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, answering Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) · hearing March 3, 2026; letter March 16, 2026

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Sources

[6]United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, official hearing page, 'Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security'

[11]USAspending.gov award record for indefinite-delivery contract 70RDA225D00000004 (Safe America Media LLC), U.S. Department of the Treasury

[16]48 C.F.R. §6.305 — availability of the justification (printed Code of Federal Regulations, 2024)

[20]PBS News, Joshua Barajas, March 3, 2026, Kennedy questioning Noem on advertising spending

[24]41 U.S.C. §3304 — exceptions to full and open competition, including unusual and compelling urgency

[31]48 C.F.R. §6.303 — justification requirements (Government Publishing Office, printed Code of Federal Regulations, 2024)

[32]48 C.F.R. §16.505 — ordering under indefinite-delivery contracts (printed Code of Federal Regulations, 2024)

[33]Bronston v. United States, 409 U.S. 352 (1973) — Library of Congress copy of the official United States Reports bound volume

[34]18 U.S.C. §1001 — statements or entries generally, including subsection (c) on legislative-branch matters (Government Publishing Office, United States Code, 2023 edition)

[35]18 U.S.C. §1621 — perjury generally (Government Publishing Office, United States Code, 2023 edition)

[36]United States House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, official hearing announcement, 'Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security'

[37]ABC News, 'Top Democrats refer Noem to DOJ for alleged perjury', March 16, 2026

2.2 · What Noem Told Congress, and What DHS Has Not Answered

Who Approved the Contracts

Noem reserved personal approval of awards over $100,000 after the original awards, and four new advertising orders followed the implementing instruction, including a $65 million domestic campaign order. Senate minority staff found 1,034 awards delayed or awaiting approval under the rule. Noem denied that Corey Lewandowski had a contract-approval role; ProPublica reported internal records and officials' accounts contradicting that denial, and DHS repeated it. By September 14, the senators investigating said the department had produced no responsive records to their March request.

Read the full chapter — all the detail, fully footnoted →

Sources

[19]USAspending.gov award record for delivery order 70CMSW25FR0000082 — Immigration and Customs Enforcement media dissemination and ad placement, Safe America Media LLC

[25]Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, joint demand with Sen. Peter Welch for answers from the succeeding Secretary about the adviser's role in departmental contracts

[27]USAspending.gov award record for delivery order 70RDA225FR0000034 — Task Order Four, Safe America Media LLC

[38]Minority staff report of the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, prepared for Ranking Member Gary Peters and Ranking Member Andy Kim, reproducing the Secretary's memorandum of June 11, 2025 and a June 24, 2025 memorandum from the Acting Director of Acquisition Policy and Legislation implementing it

[39]U.S. Department of Homeland Security press release claiming savings at 200 days

[40]6 U.S.C. §112 — Secretary of Homeland Security; functions (Office of the Law Revision Counsel, United States Code, text current through August 11, 2026)

[41]Associated Press dispatch carried by NBC News reporting the rescission of the $100,000 approval rule

[42]Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, press release publishing the senator's exchange with Secretary Noem in transcript form

[43]ProPublica, Joshua Kaplan and Justin Elliott, on the adviser's reported role in Department of Homeland Security contracting

[44]Letter from Sen. Richard Blumenthal to Secretary Noem demanding that she amend her testimony

[45]Letter from the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to the chairs and ranking members of three congressional committees, 'Re: Department of Homeland Security obstruction of OIG work', with two attachments

[46]ABC News, April 2, 2026, Inspector General investigation of DHS contracting

[47]Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, press release of September 14, 2026 publishing the text of a letter from Sens. Blumenthal and Welch to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin

3 · Trump Praised Noem After the Hearings and Announced Another Appointment

3 · Trump Praised Noem After the Hearings and Announced Another Appointment — select a subtopic

3.1 — The President Kept and Publicly Praised Her

3.2 — The Impeachment Argument

3 · Trump Praised Noem After the Hearings and Announced Another Appointment

3.1 · Trump Praised Noem After the Hearings and Announced Another Appointment

The President Kept and Publicly Praised Her

Trump announced her replacement eleven and a half months after House Democrats demanded the campaign's documents and two days after her Senate testimony. He publicly praised her performance and announced a new envoy appointment in the same post. Trump reportedly denied knowing about the campaign, while Noem said he approved the spending.

Read the full chapter — all the detail, fully footnoted →

Sources

[6]United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, official hearing page, 'Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security'

[9]The White House, presidential action, 'President Trump Announces Cabinet and Cabinet Level Appointments'

[10]Post by @realDonaldTrump announcing the succession, Truth Social status 116178030946996760 — the platform's own API record (raw JSON)

[48]United States Senate, roll-call vote record No. 17 of the 119th Congress, first session, on nomination PN11-11 (structured XML)

[49]House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Democrats, press release announcing that Ranking Members Gerald E. Connolly and Bennie G. Thompson had written to the Secretary about the advertising campaign

[50]U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 'Message from Secretary Kristi Noem' to departmental employees

[51]Letter from Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, Rep. Joe Neguse and House Judiciary Committee Democrats to Chairman Jim Jordan

[52]U.S. Department of Homeland Security press release announcing the successor's confirmation and swearing-in

[53]U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, media note 'Deputy Secretary Landau’s Travel to Costa Rica', May 6, 2026

[54]Hinds' Precedents of the House of Representatives of the United States, Volume 3 — Ch. LXXV §2398 (the 1843 charges against President John Tyler and the House's vote), and Ch. LXXVII (the 1876 impeachment of Secretary of War William W. Belknap)

[55]Cannon's Precedents of the House of Representatives of the United States, Volume 6, §§536–539 — the 1922–23 impeachment charges against Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty and the Judiciary Committee's disposition

[56]U.S. Const. art. II, §4 — National Archives transcription of the Constitution

[57]The Federalist No. 65 (Alexander Hamilton), Library of Congress research guide text of Federalist Papers 61–70

3.2 · Trump Praised Noem After the Hearings and Announced Another Appointment

The Impeachment Argument

The charge is restricted public contracting and publicity for a Cabinet Secretary, followed by inadequate accounting to Congress. A politically connected firm acknowledged production fees, and senators later reported a signing bonus benefiting the firm. In September, two senators said DHS had provided no substantive response and no responsive records to their March contracting inquiry. The impeachment argument against Trump concerns his responsibility for keeping and publicly praising Noem after scrutiny of that spending.