DHS Ad Investigation Reveals Thousands Spent on Horse, Hair, Makeup

Invoices for the Department of Homeland Security ad campaign that heavily featured now-ousted Sec. Kristi Noem reveal the department spent thousands on a horse rental, hair and makeup services, along with more than $100,000 in labor costs and more than $40,000 in other vendor costs, according to information first shared with NOTUS on Monday by Democratic senators.

The figures offer new details about the portion of the ad spending that went to The Strategy Group, the Ohio-based Republican advertising firm that filmed the ads. The firm laid out $286,137 in spending from DHS, including a $60,000 signing bonus, the senators said.

“This looks like waste, fraud, and abuse to me,” Sen. Peter Welch said in a statement about the findings. “While leading the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem and her senior team allowed tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to be spent on wasteful production costs, a shady signing bonus, and a very expensive horse—and that’s just what we know so far.”

Sign Up for NOTUS’ Free Daily Newsletter

The controversial and expensive ad campaign featured Noem riding a horse near Mount Rushmore and warning unauthorized immigrants to leave the country, at a total price tag of $220 million. It ultimately played a role in her being booted from the department, effective at the end of the month. Some Republicans at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing grilled her for the price of the ad campaign, which they said largely served to boost her name recognition. Noem said President Donald Trump personally approved the spending, reportedly frustrating the president.

Earlier this month, Welch and Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent letters to executives of companies tied to the ad campaign: Jay Connaughton of People Who Think, Benjamin Yoho of The Strategy Group and Michael McElwain of Safe America Media.

Welch said Monday that the companies involved in the campaign “have an obligation to be transparent about how taxpayer funds were used, and if anyone at DHS benefited. I urge the companies DHS contracted and sub-contracted with to tell the public what they know.”

The Strategy Group is led by the husband of Noem’s then-spokesperson and assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin. McLaughlin has stated she had nothing to do with the subcontracting of her husband’s company.

“If you’re going to accuse someone of corruption and profiting off of government service you should have your facts because this is disgusting and wrong,” McLaughlin posted earlier this month.

Before the letters were sent out, The Strategy Group posted on X that it “never had a contract with DHS,” but did sign a subcontract with Safe America, for which it was paid $226,137 for five film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements and six produced radio advertisements.

In response to the letter from senators, The Strategy Group provided partial responses to the documents and information requested.

Other expenses included: $20,000 for a horse rental, $3,781 on hair and makeup services, $107,405 on labor costs for The Strategy Group, $52,599 for videography, photography and production vendors, $500 at a magic store in South Dakota, and $42,853 for other vendors.

“Today, we are pulling back the curtain on the tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars Kristi Noem squandered on extravagant production costs for her personal ad campaign while leading the Department of Homeland Security,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “This absurd waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer funds is completely unacceptable. I will continue to demand the answers the American people deserve about how these funds were used and whether any federal officials profited from DHS contracts.”