The paper trail behind Kristi Noem’s controversial ad campaign is starting to unravel, and what’s emerging is raising new questions about how tens of millions of dollars were spent — and who, exactly, was connected to it. Newly released documents show payments tied to firms with links to Pr esident Donald Trump’s political network, placing him closer to a spending spree that is now drawing fresh scrutiny on Capitol Hill. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on March 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. Noem is appearing before Congress for a second day as she faces questions on the department’s handling of immigration enforcement and the effects of its partial shutdown. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images) The documents, released March 23 by U.S. Sens. Peter Welch and Richard Blumenthal, outline payments tied to a subcontract issued as part of Noem’s Mount Rushmore ad rollout. The records detail expenses that included a signing bonus paid to a contractor, tens of thousands of dollars for horse rentals, hair and makeup services, more than $100,000 in labor costs and more than $40,000 in additional vendor expenses. “This looks like waste, fraud, and abuse to me,” Welch said, calling for greater transparency around how taxpayer funds tied to Noem’s rollout were used. Blumenthal said the records begin to “pull back the curtain” on spending tied to the advertising effort and raised questions about whether any federal officials or contractors benefited from the payments. A $60,000 signing bonus. $20,000 for horse rentals. $3,700 for hair and makeup.These are just some of the spending @SenBlumenthal and I have uncovered from Kristi Noem's taxpayer-funded ad campaign.I’m releasing new details about this outrageous misuse of government funds.— Senator Peter Welch (@SenPeterWelch) March 23, 2026 He described the spending as “extravagant production costs” and called the broader pattern of “waste, fraud, and abuse” of taxpayer funds “completely unacceptable.” The disclosures mark one of the first detailed public looks at how funds tied to Noem’s campaign were distributed, even as broader questions remain unresolved. The White House has so far refused to approve a full audit of the advertising contracts tied to Noem’s initiative, despite internal calls for a comprehensive review. “We would be happy to have a full audit on this tomorrow, going into every single penny of the award,” a senior DHS official said, according to reporting cited by multiple outlets. “Everyone at DHS is happy to turn over our taxes and bank records — but only the White House can agree to that — will they want to?” At the same time, conflicting accounts have emerged over how closely the White House was involved in Noem’s campaign. Trump has said he was unaware of the scale of the ad spending and did not approve it. “I wasn’t thrilled with it. I spent less money than that to become president. I didn’t know about it,” Trump said in remarks previously reported. But current and former officials have offered a different account. Multiple sources familiar with the matter have said Trump was briefed on the campaign and supported it, with one senior official saying the president “knew about the campaign and wanted it to happen,” according to the Daily Beast. “The big question we are all asking is where did that money go?” a senior DHS official told the outlet. BREAKING: Grilled by Sen. Kennedy, Kristi Noem throws Trump under the bus, saying he approved the wasteful spending of $220 million on ads featuring her.pic.twitter.com/7gwOFb3iAu— Really American (@ReallyAmerican1) March 3, 2026 Noem herself has also said in prior remarks that the advertising push was encouraged by Trump and discussed with him. The conflicting narratives have left open questions about how Noem’s ad was approved and how closely it was coordinated with the White House. The scrutiny comes as leadership at the Department of Homeland Security has shifted following Noem’s departure. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who was confirmed as her replacement, has not publicly addressed the growing scandal. Separate reporting has also raised questions about how contracts tied to Noem’s initiative were structured and who benefited from them. Two firms tied to the $220 million advertising effort — Safe America Media and People Who Think — received millions in commission-based payments tied to the effort, according to internal DHS documents and reporting cited by multiple outlets. Safe America Media, which was formed just days before receiving the contract, collected at least $15.2 million through a 12 percent commission structure. Corey Lewandowski looks to have been comfortably in the middle of the money flowing through Noem’s controversial $240 million ad campaign. https://t.co/yuKdLJUJXc pic.twitter.com/YgPjQhqbjV— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) March 6, 2026 A second firm, People Who Think, received at least $7.7 million tied to its portion of the work. Both firms are linked to political operatives with connections to Trump’s campaign network. Safe America Media was led by GOP media consultants Mike McElwain and Patrick McCarthy, who have ties to a firm that handled media buying for Trump’s 2024 campaign. The company also subcontracted work tied to Noem’s advertising push to Strategy Group, a media firm run by the husband of Tricia McLaughlin, who served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security under Noem. People Who Think was co-founded by Jay Connaughton, a political strategist who worked on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump advisor who played a central role in Trump’s 2016 election, was also connected to the network of firms tied to Noem’s ad effort and was involved in discussions related to DHS contracts, according to reporting cited by multiple outlets. His spokesperson has denied any improper conduct. The contract process behind Noem’s project has raised additional concerns. An internal DHS memo described the awards as having “limited competition,” citing what officials called an “urgent and compelling need,” a designation that allowed the department to fast-track contracts tied to the advertising push. Lawmakers have begun to escalate their response to Noem’s handling of the initiative. Several Democratic lawmakers have referred Noem to the Department of Justice for a potential perjury investigation, alleging she misled Congress about the scope and details of the advertising effort. The combination of newly disclosed spending details, conflicting accounts about oversight, and the absence of a full audit has left key aspects of Noem’s advertising campaign unresolved as scrutiny continues to grow. ‘Where Did the Money Go?’: Noem’s Horse-and-Glam Spending Binge Blows Wide Open — Now Trump’s Right In the Middle as White House Refuses One Demand That Screams Full-Blown Cover-Up ...read more read less