Democrats are probing companies awarded a $220 million ad contract for ties to Noem, Lewandoski [View all]
Source: msn/NBC News
12h
Democratic senators are probing the three businesses that received a $220 million ad contract featuring outgoing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, asking whether Noem, her senior adviser Corey Lewandowski or any other DHS employee financially benefited from the agreements, according to letters obtained by NBC News.
Sens. Peter Welch and Richard Blumenthal, who is the ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters on Friday to Safe America Media, People Who Think, and the Strategy Group, a subcontractor associated with the agreement. The Strategy Group is run by Ben Yoho, the husband of former DHS press secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
In their letters, the senators say that Safe America Media "signed a no-bid contract worth $143 million" and that The Strategy Group was subcontracted as a part of that agreement. The lawmakers in their letter said People Who Think was awarded a $77 million no-bid contract.
Questions about the rush of contracts to vendors outside of the traditional competitive bidding process began to circulate in 2025 and came to a head in Noems hearings this week before House and Senate committees. On Thursday, President Trump announced he had fired Noem, who would leave her role effective March 31 and be replaced by the Republican senator from Oklahoma Markwayne Mullin.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-are-probing-companies-awarded-a-220-million-ad-contract-for-ties-to-noem-lewandoski/ar-AA1XGDel
Link to Senator Welch
PRESS RELEASE -
Welch, Blumenthal Demand Answers from Companies on Potential Corruption in $220 Million Taxpayer-Funded DHS Ad Campaign
Links to
LETTERS (inquiries) (PDFs)
https://www.welch.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letter-to-Safe-America-Media.pdf
https://www.welch.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letter-to-The-Strategy-Group.pdf
https://www.welch.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letter-to-People-Who-Think-LLC.pdf