Kristi Noem's Expenses Raise Eyebrows Among Republicans in Her Home State

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published Mar 29, 2025 at 6:19 PM EDT


Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, while serving as South Dakota governor, billed state taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars for travel as she campaigned for President Donald Trump, a move that has drawn criticism from fellow Republicans, according to the Associated Press. Newsweek has reached out to the South Dakota Republican Party and the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of Noem for comment via email on Saturday.

Why It Matters

The Trump administration has vowed to slash federal spending, root out waste, fraud and abuse, and cut taxes through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Republicans have supported the agenda, repeatedly pledging to return more money to taxpayers. Noem heads the DHS, which she has said needs more funds to carry out Trump's mass deportation plans, the largest in U.S. history. However, her previous fiscal actions have drawn scrutiny from members of her own state party.

What To Know

A lawsuit filed last month by The Dakota Scout revealed Noem's travel receipts for when she was governor, which the Associated Press analyzed and found included over $150,000 in expenses unrelated to state business, such as covering personal and political trips like visits to Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of last year's election.

The Scout, a media outlet in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, filed the lawsuit against state auditor Rich Sattgast in September, seeking to gain access to Noem's state-issued credit card receipts. Much of her travel was related to various political appearances in a private capacity, such as speaking at conservative events or Trump rallies, rather than state-related business.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/kristi-noems-expenses-raise-eyebrows-among-republicans-her-home-state-2052687

[BoRaGard]

1. "I'm special. I'm a republicon. So shut up." - Kristi (R)

"At least I'm not blowing $26 million of taxpayer money on gourmet golf this weekend. So I got that going for me." - Kristi (R)

[IcyPeas]

2. Paging Elon Musk..... Mr. Musk, we found some fraud for you

[madaboutharry]

3. Her corruption goes back a long way.

No one should be surprised at anything she does.

[mountain grammy]

6. And SD voters suck it up

Republican corruption and bullshit

[underpants]

4. And now she's traveling around doing cosplay

Dressed up as an ICE officer
Supposedly flying a C-130
Riding a horse on the border
Wearing a Rolex while using prisoners in El Salvador as background
Etc.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. "Wearing a Rolex while using prisoners in El Salvador as background"

And not just any Rolex, but one that is close to the average price of a new car in the U.S.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posed in front of El Salvador prisoners wearing $50k watch

[underpants]

9. Yeah I wasn't sure if the price. I thought 40 or 60 $

I guess I was all around it.

[chicoescuela]

8. Not to mention all the cosmetic surgery she appears to have done like

her new ‘kidneys’. I don’t understand why some attractive women can’t accept aging gracefully. Sigh

[DENVERPOPS]

15. If you haven't noticed

all of these women, that aspire to be prominent women in the Republican Party, do three things.......

They do their hair like Melania

They get alot of plastic surgery on their faces, do Lipo, get Tucks.

Then, to top it all off, they get the Republican Female Politicians, pre-requisite.........*REPUBLICAN RACK*.......seriously, it's laughable.
All these Wannabe Republican Women going to DC is creating a shortage of Dow Corning at the hardware stores across the nation.....

[Maeve]

10. Not just using prisoners as a background--violating the Geneva Convention

I think MAGAts get extra points for violating international law

[underpants]

11. Good point. I'd missed that.

[Mysterian]

7. Keep voting republican, bumpkins

and keep getting robbed.

[louis-t]

12. Lots of money for MEEEE.

None for thee.

[kimbutgar]

13. I bet the tax payers of SD paid for that Rolex on her way out the door after getting approved !

She is corrupted AF ( as f%ck ) birds of a feather her and orange Hitler!

Saw a picture of her last night on the cnn comedy show and she ruined her face with the Botox and plastic surgery.

[DENVERPOPS]

16. Check out my #15

and google her college photos............

[Martin68]

14. So that's how she got her job.