Ranking Members Bennie Thompson and Robert Garcia Demand Answers from DHS on Taxpayer Funds Funneled to Republican Consulting Firm for $240 Million Wasteful Ad Campaign
“This latest commercial is yet another example of how DHS evades the competitive bidding process to flow money to friends of Trump Administration officials”
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding answers on her spending $240 million in homeland security funds on overtly political advertising – with one recent commercial filmed during the Republican government shutdown featuring President Trump’s private real estate holdings and footage of Noem attempting to herd cattle.
Alarmingly, recent press reports have revealed that the money for the latest commercial went to the Strategy Group, a Republican consulting firm with ties to Secretary Noem and Department of Homeland Security officials Corey Lewandowski and Tricia McLaughlin – raising further questions of corruption and unethical conduct.
“We fail to see any common sense in your apparently blatant evasion of the competitive bidding requirements that protect taxpayer dollars from corruption and abuse, instead engaging in cowboy cosplay and lining your friends’ pockets at the taxpayer’s expense during a government shutdown,” the Ranking Members wrote. “Your travel arrangements for this trip raise further questions, as you also decided it was necessary to purchase two ‘lavish’ Gulfstream G700 private jets and deemed this extravagant transaction qualified to take place during the government shutdown.”
When the ad campaign was first announced in March, the Ranking Members of the Homeland Security and Oversight & Government Reform Committees sent a letter to Secretary Noem asking questions about the campaign and related contracts. Secretary Noem replied without answering a single question. In today’s letter, the Ranking Members reiterated their request and also demanded copies of all communications between DHS officials, including Secretary Noem, and anyone associated with the Strategy Group.
Click here to read the full letter.
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